A Daughter
by USNeshama
Summary: 2 Months after the Cullens left in New Moon and Bella comes back into their lives in a twist of fate. She will need them more than ever before, and they need her more then some of them are willing to admit. Carlisle/Bella but of the father/daughter variety. Normal Pairings. All Cullens present (eventually).
1. Chapter 1

Carlisle

I was making my rounds at the hospital. It had been 2 months since my family had moved from Forks to New York. That family, what was left of it, was miserable. They were going through the motions, but there was just no joy anymore.

I went to work, checking on patients, using my skills to help others. Esme kept the house, but she didn't want to garden, simply sat staring at the wall for hours contemplating the children she had lost. Alice ensured we weren't in danger but hadn't been shopping or into her design projects. She tried to console Jasper, who was distraught and aloof, but to no avail. Emmett was off trying to calm Rosalie, who still didn't understand why we had needed to leave Forks and was on a rampage. Edward was off, who knew where, doing who knew what. He had disappeared almost immediately after our move.

I sighed. And then there was the child we had left behind, the one that probably needed me most: Bella. She was a daughter to me. Just as Alice and Rosalie were. And I just didn't understand why Edward had made us leave. I still contemplated whether it had been the right decision. But I knew I missed my little human daughter more than I could put to words. Being separated from her was like being separated from any of my children, it hurt. A lot.

I checked my watch, I had two hours to go on my shift. My pager went off just then. I looked down and then rushed to the operating room. It seemed there had been a car accident and I was needed ASAP.

I jogged, at human speed (how annoying), to the OR prep room. One of the nurses came into help me and gave me the full run down. Car coming out of the airport had been t-boned on the driver's side, both the driver and the driver's side passenger were DOA. The remaining survivor, a young girl, was on the table with a broken leg, 3 broken ribs, and serious abrasions to her face from the glass breaking on her window. They were worried about a punctured lung.

I finished dressing and rushed into the operating room, only to stop dead at the smell that assaulted me. It was familiar, and it scared me to death that I knew it. If my heart hadn't been stopped centuries ago I was sure it would have stopped then. It was Bella. It was my daughter.

"Dr. Cullen?" one of the nurses spoke to me, noticing the pause.

I shook my head and stepped forward. I had to help her, she _had_ to be alright. She just _had_ to be. If there was a God this was the time for Him to step in.


	2. Chapter 2

Carlisle

I focused on her heart as I worked over her. It was beating erratically and it was making my own heart clench. I checked her head first. The paramedics had immobilized it on scene, but I could tell by probing her neck that it was fine. That was a relief, it meant that she didn't have any brain damage. The abrasions were an issue and it saddened me to see so much glass embedded there but she would recover.

I told the nurses to begin removing the glass and I moved down to her ribs. As I probed I felt three completely broken ribs and 2 that were cracked. She would be in a lot of pain. Her heartbeat was still too fast and that was what worried the most.

Bella's heartbeat seemed to calm down a little after I set her leg but it was still too fast for my liking. None of the nurses were concerned, but it was such a familiar noise to me that I knew what it should sound like to my ears and it was off, that much I knew.

About the time I finished with her leg the nurses where done with Bella's face and wrapped it up in gauze. All of our pagers went off then, alerting us to another medical emergency. The nurses looked to me. But there was no way in hell I was leaving Bella.

"Both of you go, I have this" I assured them. They seemed kind of stunned but quickly left the OR to change and go into the other with Dr. Franks. I was off shift now anyway. I went and ensured the curtain of the observation room was closed and locked the door.

"Oh my sweet girl" I whispered. Now that no one was around I could move about freely. I quickly took the collar off from around her neck and moved down to try and immobilize her ribs. In my haste and preoccupation I knocked into the bed and couldn't completely stop it before it shifted her the smallest bit.

But that shift was enough, causing one of the broken ribs to puncture her lung. I cursed. She was drowning in her own lungs. I could hear the gurgling as she tried to breath. I quickly incubated her but had to find a way to get the blood out of her lungs, and quickly.

I grabbed a scalpel and made a small incision in her chest, inserting a tube in order to get the blood out. I needed a pump, but unfortunately it was in the other room and there just wasn't enough time. I needed to get the blood out of her lungs now.

I quickly pumped a sedative into her IV and then made the decision to suck the blood out of her lungs myself. I had never drank human blood before but I knew that this was the only way my daughter would survive. She needed the blood out now and I needed to get into the site and patch up the hole in her lung.

I took a deep, although unnecessary breath, and put my mouth over the tube that ran directly into her lung. I sucked until I came up dry. I didn't let the fact that I was drinking human blood register in my brain. I knew her lungs were clear for the moment but that I needed to close the hole before more blood flowed in.

I then made the hardest decision I ever had, harder than it was to suck Bella's blood; I made the decision to use my teeth to make the incisions I needed to get to her lung. I knew it would be faster and more precise but I also knew that I would be permanently scarring her. Even if she was changed those scars would remain.

But honestly, I didn't care; right now I just wanted to save her life. I bit a line down her chest and then beneath her heart. It was a perfect right angle and would allow me entry into her chest to close the hole. I reached in and found what I was looking for. I leaned down and licked the hole. My venom would cure the injury. I removed the tube and the lung was good as new. I had just recently discovered that our venom could be used to cure injuries; as long as we didn't inject it into the blood stream it wouldn't cause a change. That's why I needed to suck the blood out and make sure that there wasn't any on the injury site. I hadn't tried it on a human before, just tests in the lab but I knew Bella wouldn't mind if this wasn't "field tested".

I ensured that I could hear her lungs working properly before I moved down to her ribs and I cleaned each individually as best I could and licked my finger transferring my venom to its tip before running it down the bones themselves. I watched as they clicked back into place. I then closed the incision I had made with another lick to the injury sites. The only remaining injuries were her leg and her face but unfortunately I couldn't disappear all her injuries without arousing suspicion.

I did remove the breathing tube though so only the binds on her leg and gauze on her face remained. I could hear the venom working in the rest of her injury sites.

After I was positive she was going to be ok I text Esme. "911. Come to the hospital now." I didn't want to give her too much information because I knew this would hurt her and I didn't want to raise her hopes in knowing that Bella was here but I needed her.

I quickly walked over and put contacts in my eyes, thankful to Alice for having the foresight, I smiled slightly at the joke, to put them in all of our jackets.

My phone chimed. "On my way" it read. I sighed. She was coming. My wife was coming. Everything would be okay.

I wheeled Bella out of the OR and down the hall to a private room. Passing the nurses station I told them to let my wife know that I would be in Room 230 and to send her in.

As I fit Bella's bed against the wall I let out a sigh. Why was she here? Who was she with? Why NY?

I grabbed her chart as I sat at the foot of her bed. It listed only her present injuries as she was listed as a Jane Doe. I wished I had her full medical record at that present moment. Anything to bring me closer to this girl, to explain the changes I saw in her face, in her body.

She had easily lost 20 pounds and her previously small stature had diminished even more making her now unnaturally thin. There were deep purple bruises under her eyes and she just looked overall unwell.

How wrong of us it had been to leave her behind. She looked like the life had been drained out of her. I prayed Esme would get here soon and that Bella would recover. I would ensure she would recover.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**

**First, I must say I am very pleased to be trying my hand at **_**Twilight**_** as the support has been awesome. I was pleasantly surprised to get reviews so quickly. You guys are awesome! I am feeling very motivated to update because of your response to here is another chapter. :)**

**Secondly, I feel the need to address a question posed about Bella being listed as a Jane Doe. This is a term for an unidentified person. It is what hospitals and police use when a person comes in without an ID. It is important to the plot of my story but have no fear I am not changing our characters.**

**Thanks for reading!**

Esme

My phone chimed with a message from Carlisle: "911. Come to the hospital now." Instantly I was on my feet and running out to the car.

My heart had clenched and I was near panic. What emergency could have Carlisle racing me to the hospital? All of my family was indestructible…

My thoughts shifted as I felt a presence hot on my heels. As I was getting in the car I realized it was Jasper who was sliding into the passenger seat as I put the car into reverse not even bothering with the prop of a seatbelt.

"What's wrong?" Jasper asked trying to calm me with his talent.

I handed him my phone and I could see he quickly realized what it was that had me upset.

"But what could this mean?" Jasper whispered, confused as I was, placing the phone back in my outstretched hand.

"I don't know, only that I need to be there, as in as fast as this car can go" I said pushing the gas pedal down harder. I had thought about running but realized that I might need the car. Carlisle had run to work this morning so something had me believing I might need it.

Jasper and I had been the only ones home. Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie were off hunting and Edward…well it had been a couple weeks since we had heard from him. Carlisle, Jasper, and I were planning on going early next week.

I pulled into the parking lot and Jasper and I jumped out of the car. Trying very hard to move at a human speed we walked into the hospital and turned the corner headed directly for the nurse's station.

The nurse looked up, and although she appeared unsurprised to see me, she was slightly taken aback by the man at my side.

"Uh…Mrs. Cullen" the nurse stammered "your husband said to tell you to go to room 230".

The words were barely out of her mouth and Jasper and I were rushing down the hall.

I had to get to him. Whatever the emergency was I just needed to be there.

I pushed open the door to room 230 to find Carlisle sitting with his back to the door on the foot of a patient's bed.

"Carlisle what is…" I started only to be assaulted by a familiar scent when I took a deep breath.

It couldn't be. My daughter. The one I'd lost. Injured in a hospital bed.

No wonder Carlisle was so upset. But then he turned to me and I could see the unshed tears in his eyes as the contacts he had been wearing dissolved to reveal his crimson colored eyes.

"Oh my God…"


	4. Chapter 4

Carlisle

I could hear the footsteps of my wife and son echoing down the hall. They would be here any minute. I didn't want them to see her like this. I didn't want them to see me like this.

I heard them enter the room. Heard Esme speak "Carlisle what is…" and then trail off as I am sure she realized who was in the bed I was sitting on, even in the hospital the scent was to familiar to ignore.

I left my back to them. I didn't want them to see the agony in my eyes as I realized that this was all our fault. If we hadn't left, this never would have happened. I turned to face them. Heard Esme's muted "Oh my God…" and then she was in my arms.

If tears could have fallen down our cheeks this would have been the moment for them. I heard Jasper turn and shut the door behind him and then felt him send us his love from across the room. I looked up and met his eyes over Esme's shoulder, acknowledging his message.

After 5 minutes or so, it was Jasper that spoke. "What happened Carlisle?"

I looked down at the girl sleeping in the bed and reached over to grasp her hand. I was going to need her strength to tell this story.

With Esme still in my arms, Jasper looking at me from his protective stance in front of the door, and Bella's hand in mine I started from the beginning.

"I had about two hours to go on my shift when I got paged to the OR for a girl with a broken leg and at least 3 broken ribs. She had been in a car that was t-boned just leaving the airport. The other two occupants were DOA. It wasn't until I walked into the operating room that I knew it was Bella" I stopped to glance over at her, and Esme squeezed my arm.

"She looked so fragile and helpless. I checked her ribs and discovered that several were broken and the others were cracked. Then I set her leg while a couple of the nurses removed the glass from her face" I took a deep breath, that although unnecessary, helped to calm me a little.

"No one other than myself was worried. But her heart was beating too fast for my liking. The others couldn't hear the difference but I know the way it normally beats and this was full blown panic mode. Another call came in for an emergency in the other OR and I dismissed the startled nurses. They were definitely surprised, but there was no way in hell I was leaving Bella again.

I jostled the bed a little after removing the collar they had placed around her neck and that tiny bit was enough to cause one of her broken ribs to pierce her left lung causing blood to seep in immediately. She was drowning" I choked out, burying my face in Esme's shoulder "she was drowning in her own lungs".

After I calmed down again, and ensured that Bella was okay, brushing the hair back from her face. Jasper prompted me. "And what happened next?"

"I made an incision to get the blood out of her lungs. I needed a pump but there wasn't one in the OR I was in. So after I locked the door and ensured that no one could see in from the observation room, I sucked it out myself. There was just no other way. And I was not going to stand by and watch her die" I said vehemently.

"That explains the eyes" Jasper gestured.

"Yes" I smiled sadly "a first for me. But I would do it again to save her. She is my daughter."

"Yes she is" Jasper smiled softly in return.

Shaking my head and getting back into my train of thought I proceeded with my description of the events. "So I knew I had to close the hole in her lungs and I just recently discovered that if our venom isn't injected into the bloodstream it can cure injuries without causing a change" both my wife and son looked astounded at this revelation.

"When did you discover this?" Jasper asked, stunned.

"Last week in a lab test. But obviously it was unproven in a human until today" I nodded to Bella.

"So you tried this on her?" Jasper asked shocked. "What would have happened if it went wrong?"

"Then it would have changed her" I answered. "And Jasper, I was not about to lose her again. If something had gone wrong and then change had occurred then I wouldn't have been sorry. I would be sorry that I hadn't been able to save her human life, but I wouldn't be sorry that I had changed her instead of letting her die."

"Good" Jasper replied.

"Good?" I asked, unsure of what he was referring to.

"Good that you knew the risks but took them anyway. If you hadn't changed her, I would have."

"What?" I asked astonished to hear this from my son.

"I've seen what leaving her behind has done to this family. Edward didn't just hurt himself, he hurt all of us with his choice. Now it may have been my fault that he made that choice but he hurt all 8 of us with his idiotic decision" Jasper spat.

"Jasper…" I warned, only noting how loud he was getting.

"Let me finish" he started, bringing his voice back to our level. "I was planning on leaving tomorrow to go back to Forks and look for her. I was going to apologize, see how she was doing. When we left she didn't just lose Edward, she lost a family. And we need her back to make everything okay. To make this family whole again."

I was shocked. "Is this really how to feel Jasper?"

"It is" he answered, his voice dangerous.

"Thank you for telling me" I answered.

"We are never leaving her again" he threatened. And I knew coming from my battle hardened southern son it was an order, not a request.

"We are never leaving her again" I agreed.

Esme broke in then. "Could you finish the story please honey?"

"Uh…yes…where was I…oh, so I bit a line down Bella's chest and sucked the blood away from the wound in her lung so I could use the venom to seal it. I then decided that since I was already in I would heal her ribs too. I fixed all of her internal injuries, and closed her back up with my venom. I would have liked to have fixed her leg and face but I can't until we get her out of here. It would arouse too much suspicion."

Jasper nodded. "Okay so what can we do?" he asked.

"Right now I would like the two of you to stay here. I need to go check who the identities were of the other occupants of the vehicle."

They both nodded. "I gave her a sedative so she should be out for a while and her heartbeat is back to normal so you shouldn't have to worry. I'll be back in 10 minutes."

I reached into my pocket for another pair of contacts and hurried from the room. I had my suspicions about who the other passengers were in the vehicle but didn't want to voice them until I had verified them.

But Bella was going to be okay. My daughter, and my family, were going to get through this.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N

So again, I must say thank you for the awesome reviews, they are highly motivating. I have never updated this much this fast but you guys are so wonderful I feel like have an obligation. I am uploading this as I am writing it, so as soon as I am happy with a chapter you will see it here. I promise I am not holding out on you all. Thanks so much for your responses and thanks for reading!

Alice

I fell to my knees as I watched Carlisle make the decision to suck the blood out of Bella's lungs. I watched his turmoil; saw clearly the fear displayed on his face as he bit into Bella's chest. Fear _for her_. He was so determined to save her, my little sister. His youngest, and most fragile daughter.

Emmett was beside me in and instant, sitting on the ground and pulling me into his lap. Silently offering any strength he could provide with his embrace. He held me as the images played across my eyes.

As soon as I saw that Bella would be okay. I breathed a sigh of relief and turned my face into Emmett's neck. He waited for me to speak.

"We have to go back" I whispered.

"What did you see Alice?" Emmett asked, as I looked into his face.

"Our family needs us" I said as I stood up and he mirrored my movements. Rosalie came into the clearing then, watching our interaction. I could see her confusion.

"What family?" Emmett scoffed. "We have lost our family".

"Bella" I said simply. I watched his eyes widen in surprise.

"But Edward…you promised not to watch her Alice…we're supposed to leave her be" Emmett sighed out.

"I wasn't watching her. I was watching Carlisle. And Bella just came into his ER. She is unconscious. We need to go now. Carlisle is distraught." I answered, watching him visibly blanche again.

"What happened? Is she okay?" Emmett asked, stepping forward.

I turned on my heel and began running for the house. I didn't have time to explain. Emmett and Rosalie were hot on my heels. Emmett calling out for answers behind me.

I needed to get my head on straight and I needed to be focused. I knew we were going to need papers. Before we went to the hospital we were going to need to make new papers for her.

Bella was officially going to be a part of this family now, and we were never going to leave her again. Edward be damned.


	6. Chapter 6

Carlisle

I walked out of Bella's room and down the hall to the elevator. I knew I needed to see the bodies myself. I had my suspicions but needed confirmation. As much as it pained me to see them in person I needed to be sure before I had to talk to my daughter.

I nodded to the nurse who exited the elevator as I got in and pushed the button for the hospital basement where the morgue was. The EMT's had pulled all three victims out of the car only for two of them to be deemed dead on arrival at the hospital.

I stepped out of the elevator and walked into the ME's office. Dr. Solomon looked up from his desk. "Ah Dr. Cullen, what is it that I can help you with?" he asked politely, but somewhat surprised to see me.

"I would like to see the bodies of the accident victims from earlier this evening" I requested.

"Well that's not really possible, I just autopsied them" Dr. Solomon replied, looking uncomfortable. Looking at my expression something must have worried him because he leaned across his desk and said "are you ok?"

I sighed, sitting in the chair opposite the desk to put the man more at ease. "Not really. The girl who survived that car wreck is my daughter, Isabella. I think I can identify at least one of your victims."

Dr. Solomon looked appalled. "Oh I am so sorry Dr. Cullen. I knew you had children but haven't had the opportunity of meeting them."

"Yes well, Bella holds a special place in my heart", I said not really wanting to delay this any further but when he looked at me in interest I knew I needed to continue and paint ourselves a good cover story that would get Bella out of the hospital when she was really to leave.

"She is the newest addition to my family and a cherished member. I adopted her when she was 17" I watched as his eyes widened. "So old" he commented.

I nodded. "She decided to move away from her mother, who was her legal guardian to live with her father. He was a police officer, so he couldn't have sole custody. She practically lived at my house anyway, being such good friends with all of my children so I called her mother on a whim and asked if she would be willing to give me guardianship. She agreed, a little too easily if you ask me, and Bella became a part of my family shortly thereafter. That was over a year ago" I said thoughtfully.

"She spent this semester studying abroad in Spain and her biological father was going to pick her up at the airport today. He is who I think is lying in your autopsy room." I tilted my head to the door.

After staring at me in shock for a good 30 seconds or so, Dr. Solomon recovered himself enough to move some papers around on his desk. "Well let me see here. We have identified the driver as being a Mr. Kalid Ashwari" he said holding up a file. "He was an American citizen, married, one child. He was a cab driver." He put the file down looking to me for any recognition. I shook my head. "The deceased passenger has yet to be identified".

"May I please look?" I kept my voice composed.

Dr. Solomon rose "well I guess if it clears a John Doe off my table" he said leading the way into the autopsy room and pulling back the sheet on the second table after waiting for my go ahead.

I looked down into the face of Charlie Swan. I sighed, nodding to Dr. Solomon as he pulled the sheet back down over the Chief's face.

"Yes, that is Chief Charlie Swan of Forks, Washington" I told him. "I will arrange for the body to be transported."

He nodded and murmured his apologizes as he left the room. I thanked him and went back to the elevator pressing the button for Bella's floor.

This was going to destroy Bella. But at least she had us. And we were never letting go. _Never. _


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N**

**So I promise after we get through the next few chapters they will become longer in length but right now as we switch from POV to POV I feel that shorter chapters are the way to go. Thank you for your support and please enjoy this next chapter!**

Jasper

I paced in front of the door just inside Bella's room. It wasn't a necessary movement but it helped me to think and hold onto control over emotions.

Esme sat on the end of Bella's bed where Carlisle had previously been. She held the girl's hand and was both worried and relieved. I guessed the former was for Bella's present state and the latter was for the fact that Bella was once again in our lives.

Bella had always felt strongly. From the first time she walked into our house I was surprised at how much she felt, and how strongly she felt it. She had probably the strongest, and most peculiar, emotions of any human I had ever felt.

I was intrigued by why she felt the way she did and she often left me to puzzle it out as Edward had warned my away from her. But my curiosity always had me wanting to be closer, but that was not wise. Her birthday party had shown that.

But now what I felt from her even in a drug-induced state scared me. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt fear from within rather than borrowed from another, but this gripped my heart like nothing I had ever felt.

She was hollow. There were few emotions at all. And when I could get a glimpse the feelings she had they were of gut-wrenching pain or heart-aching abandonment. Other than that there was nothing. _She was nothing._

This had me very worried. But it had kept me contemplating while Carlisle had gone to check on something. I was sure whatever it was must be important. I could hear him getting back out of the elevator now.

I listened as the footsteps came down the hall and then paused in front of the door, as Carlisle took a deep breath. Whereas pacing served to calm me, deep breaths served the same purpose for Carlisle.

I opened the door for him and he nodded as he passed me to Esme's side. He sat on the edge of the bed again, opposite Esme; reaching out to grasp Bella's other hand.

Esme and I waited for him to speak. I could feel the sadness radiating of him in waves. I sent him some of my love, to which he glanced up and gave me a small smile.

"One of the deceased occupants of the vehicle was Charlie" Carlisle sighed, glancing at Bella.

Esme offered her other hand to Carlisle so that they now formed a circle with Bella.

"I will arrange for the body to be transported back to Forks for a burial if that is what Bella wants. I haven't seen a will or know if he discussed his wishes with her but we will take care of it" Carlisle spoke softly.

"And Bella?" Esme asked, both concern and trepidation leaking into her voice, as much as I could feel them in her emotions.

"We will be taking care of Bella" Carlisle confirmed.

"But what about Renee?" Esme asked.

"What about Renee?" I asked.

Both of my surrogate parents turned to look at me.

"Bella is 18, she doesn't need a legal guardian. And surely Renee would not be the best choice anyway" I finished.

"We will contact Renee, after we speak to Bella, at least to notify her of Charlie's death. But as for Bella, she will not be going with her mother" Carlisle said definitively.

"But how can you make that decision for her?" Esme asked. Her emotions one of hope to keep the girl she thought of as a daughter, and fear that Carlisle might send her away again, despite his words.

"She will obviously make the final decision on whether she wants to permanently stay with us but until she is fully healed and we get through Charlie's funeral she will be staying with us. There will be no discussion" Carlisle spoke with passion. I could feel that he wanted to give Bella the room to make her own decisions but he also wanted to keep her close. He loved her and I could feel the guilt pouring off him that this was our fault.

Esme nodded. I could feel the motherly love flowing from her and the hope that Bella would choose to stay with us forever.

My phone chimed and I looked down to see a text from my wife, "Making papers. We'll see you in 57 minutes" it read.

I smiled, I love my wife.

I looked up to meet the gazes of Carlisle and Esme who were looking at me curiously.

"Alice says they're making papers. That they'll be here in 57 minutes" I said too low for human ears, in case those ears chose to be listening.

They both smiled, Carlisle chuckling lightly. Sometimes Alice used her talent to lighten the mood and I was sure this time was one of those incidents.

We waited for Alice to arrive and for Bella to awake. Our family needed some reconciliation.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N**

**Wow! So again, you guys are awesome! Thank you so much for the support. A couple of things I wanted to clarify. This is a family based story. I really felt in the books that what Bella gained and lost was a true family and that affected her more than anything else. Also, although some of you want me to leave Edwards out of Bella's life I do believe in true love and that they are meant for each other. However, unlike in the book, Edward will definitely have to work for it (and won't show up for chapters and chapters to come). Bella's family will be protecting her from Edward and it will not be the easy forgiveness Bella gave in the book. And I can assure you there will be many twists and turns on the way there.**

**I hope you all don't hate me for it but I felt it was only fair to tell you now. Thanks for reading and definitely for reviewing! I hope you like this next chapter. And I promise Chapter 9 will be much longer.**

Alice

After getting back to the house, quickly followed by Emmett and Rosalie, I directed them to the work we needed to get accomplished before we could leave for the hospital. I sent Jasper a quick text and then got down to work.

We needed a birth certificate, a driver's license, a passport with stamps documenting a trip to Spain, and most importantly adoption papers.

The birth certificate was easy. I just got a copy of the old one. It was accurate. The driver's license wasn't too hard I just hacked the Department of Motor Vehicle and changed her name from Swan to Cullen. I then printed a new one with her same picture.

I put Emmett on the passport forgery while Rosalie set about forging the stamps required to document a trip to and from Spain.

I then went to work on the adoption papers. I dated them about a month after her move to Forks and forged Renee's signature. Charlie's wasn't required as Renee had full custody. I then signed Esme and Carlisle's names, having perfected their signatures along ago.

We finished in record time and jumped in my car to the hospital.

Pulling into the parking lot I reached into the back seat to grab the documents but Rosalie already had them in hand and nodded to me. So I slammed the car in park and the three of us were "rushing" into the hospital. It was so annoying to move at human speed!

We were headed directly for Bella's room when we passed the nurse's station without a glance and a startled nurse called after us.

I motioned for Rosalie and Emmett to go on ahead as I would take care of this.

"Can I help you Miss?" the severe looking woman asked, glancing behind me as my siblings disappeared down the hall.

"We're just here to see our sister" I said, putting on my most innocent and non-threatening smile.

"I see. Well don't you need to at least know what room she is in?" the nurse asked, pleased that she could stall me for a moment. If she only knew how ludicrous it was for someone to ask me if I needed to know something. Ha.

"No Ma'am. My father called my siblings and me to come immediately. Our mother and brother are already here" I said sweetly.

"And who would your father be exactly?" she asked, already looking through records to try and discern who I might be visiting.

"Dr. Cullen" I replied, smiling at the shock that graced her face, as her mouth dropped.

"Dr. Cullen? As in Dr. Carlisle Cullen?" she asked, her mouth still a little too low.

"One in the same" I said, "now if you don't mind I would like to go see my sister now".

I turned and began skipping down the hall.

She called after me, as I knew she would.

"Miss Cullen? I have no one listed under your last name. Surely you must be mistaken" she said, frowning slightly.

"It's Alice, and there is no mistake Ma'am" I sad sadly. "My sister was brought in as a Jane Doe this morning in a car accident. She was on a study abroad trip so I had her driver's license. Our sister Rosalie has it now. I'm sure my father will straighten everything out" I turned and walked down the hall before she could stop me again. I could tell she was still shocked that I was one of Dr. Cullen's children, after all, he did _look_ to be in his early 20's.

As I turned the corner I was pulled into a set of familiar strong arms and leaned into my husband's embrace. He led me down another couple of halls and into Bella's room.

I saw Carlisle and Esme sitting on the bed holding Bella's hands, while Emmett and Rosalie stood next to her head on the far side of the bed. Jasper and I joined our family opposite Emmett and Rosalie.

I looked down at the bed. She looked so fragile. So small. I buried my face in Jasper's chest.

What had we done to her? How were we going to fix this?

I searched the future and saw that Bella would be okay. Carlisle had made the decision to help her and everything would turn out okay in the end. But right now the future was bleak. Very bleak indeed.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N**

**So I just want to say thank you yet again for the reviews, favorites, and follows. But again I update when I am done with a chapter (so demands for an update with no other feedback will NOT prove to change anything). To those of you who have left me real feedback, I really appreciate it and love intertwining your ideas with my own so if you have any ideas you'd like to see feel free to share and I will see if they mesh with where I'm headed. **

**And to the guest who commented on my not tagging Edward in my characters: I chose to tag my main characters. If you read my summary you would have seen that I said ALL of the Cullens will be in my story as well as that all of the normal pairings will be present (eventually). My intention was not to get your hopes up that this would be an "Edward Free" story as I also play with the filters, but I also feel I left enough of a warning in my summary. Sorry for any inconvenience.**

**Thank you again and I hope you like this next chapter!**

Jasper

We waited in Bella's room for hours in anticipation of her waking. Alice said it would be Monday morning when she finally opened her eyes, this she could see because Carlisle had decided to lay off the sedatives.

It was unfortunately only Saturday night. Bella had been in the accident only early this morning. I sighed as I heard a woman approach our room.

There was a slight knock and then the door was opened. We all glanced up from our places to the woman standing in the doorway.

"Oh Dr. Cullen, I didn't realize you were in here" she said, hesitantly, glancing around at all of us positioned around the room.

"Yes, was there something I could help you with?" Carlisle asked.

"Ah no, I just came to check on the patient" she said, although she stood her ground and didn't move any closer.

"Well as you can see her condition hasn't changed any" Carlisle replied, his thumb stroking across the back of Bella's hand which he had yet to release.

"Ah yes…" she trailed off. "Uh sir? Visiting hours are over and you didn't make the family leave…" she trailed off again unsure of herself. I smiled inwardly and did nothing to alleviate her discomfort.

"No I didn't. Melissa this is Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett" he said pointing to each of us in turn after dropping Esme's hand "my children. And this is Esme, my wife" Carlisle finished.

"I knew you had a family, but it so nice to meet you all" Melissa stuttered out. Her confusion now even more evident now that introductions had been made.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize the time" he said glancing at his watch "I will stay here, the rest of you go home. I will let you know if Bella's status changes".

We all looked at him. No one moved. I could feel Emmett's rebelliousness, Rosalie's irritation, Esme's sadness and disbelief, Alice's frustration and then assent, Carlisle's seriousness and pain, and Melissa's confusion.

I sent everyone but Melissa a wave of submission before everyone glanced at me, then nodded at Carlisle and filed out of the room. Alice squeezed my hand, and kissed my cheek, seeing my mind was made up to stay.

Carlisle looked at me and I shook my head. "I'm staying" I murmured too low for human ears.

He nodded but I could feel his confusion at my stubbornness.

"Melissa, Jasper and I will be staying" Carlisle said.

"Sir?" she said, looking confused.

"This is my daughter, Bella" Carlisle said looking at Bella, and stroking her hair back from her face. "We will be staying".

"Oh I am so sorry Dr. Cullen, I hadn't heard she had been identified, let alone your daughter" Melissa replied. I felt surprise, and then compassion and respect from Melissa at Carlisle's revelation.

She stood looking at us for a moment. "I'll get you some extra blankets" she said turning on her heel.

Carlisle looked at me. He let me feel his love for me and for Bella, but also his confusion and curiosity at my continued presence.

"I can't leave her Carlisle. You haven't felt her pain, her abandonment…" I trailed off as Melissa reentered the room and handed Carlisle the blankets.

"Please let me know if Bella, or you, need anything else" she said, nodding at me, and making a hasty retreat out the door.

Carlisle set the blankets down on the bed beside him and then looked at me waiting for me to continue.

I sighed and then took up Esme's previous place sitting on the bed by Bella's feet opposite Carlisle. I took the two blankets and spread them over her, knowing our presence would make her colder.

I again felt his surprise and then saw his smile at my apparently easy familiarity sitting by Bella as his emotions morphed to one of astounding love and happiness at my decision to be closer to her.

"You were saying" he prompted. I could feel his curiosity at where I was going with this, but also his apprehension at where it may lead.

"She vacillates between heart-wrenching agony, and stifling abandonment. And that's when she feels anything at all. Most of the time she is in this hallow space where she feels nothing…that's the best I can describe it. She's just empty. And honestly Carlisle, it scares me. I have never felt anything like it. And it terrifies me. There's no will there. No_ anything_." I finished, looking down at my sister and reaching out for her hand. I grasped it carefully, but securely, I didn't want to let go either.

I felt Carlisle shift through a variety of emotions. He listened to me and I felt first his pain, then his worry, then his sadness, then his fear when he heard me describe that nothingness where she seemed to be existing. He finally settled on sadness.

"You're terrified?" he asked. Carlisle certainly had never heard me use that word. He knew what it must have meant if I chose to use it to describe my current state.

I nodded. "What have we done?" he whispered.

"We left" I replied, my thumb stroking over the back of Bella's hand.

Carlisle flinched. I could feel his anger (probably at Edward) then his determination before he said "we're never leaving her again".

"I know" I smiled at him.

He gave me a small smile in return. We exchanged few words as we held Bella's hands through the night. When the clock read 7:45 AM more noise began to permeate the hospital.

Carlisle sighed. I looked at him.

"My shift starts soon. And seeing as how Bella won't reawake until tomorrow morning I might as well work today so I can ask off work Wednesday and Thursday. I am already off Monday and Tuesday" he said.

I nodded. "I'll watch her"" I told him.

"I know. Otherwise I wouldn't leave her" he replied, getting up and slowly releasing her hand. He kissed her forehead very carefully then placed his hand on my shoulder as he walked to the door.

"I'll check back in soon. Text Alice and tell her to keep everyone home today. We don't need everyone here and…" he paused as my phone chimed.

I looked down at it as I pulled it from my pocket. "Alice" I told him.

I opened the text, it read "We will all be here waiting when Bella comes home Tuesday morning. Esme is making food and we're setting up a room for her. Don't worry. Look after our sister."

I smiled before sending a "k" and handing the phone off to Carlisle.

He looked down at the message then gave me a small smile, shaking his head, as he handed it back to me.

"I'll check back in soon" he said as he left the room.

I watched Bella throughout the day and very little went on. A nurse came in to check on her a couple times. Nodding to me as I sat and held her hand.

Carlisle came in four or five times, looking over her chart and the machines. Speaking quietly to me asking about any changes in her mood, kissing her head each time and looking remorseful as he left the room each time. I could feel his sadness and regret as he left.

But for hours I just monitored her lack of emotion and held a vigil holding her hand.

Carlisle came back in at the end of his shift and joined me on Bella's bed. He grasped her hand and ran his hand over her face again and again.

"Only a few more hours" he murmured. I nodded.

Early in the morning I could feel Bella's emotions shift to sheer terror as she began to stir.

"She's waking up" Carlisle smiled, but it fell from his face as he watched mine twist in agony.

I usually tried to hide my emotions but Bella's were just so strong and I hadn't felt anything like this before that I know I showed too much.

"What is it Jasper" he asked me, panicking.

"She's terrified" I gasped out.

"Can you reach her? Calm her?" he asked.

I was trying. But nothing I was doing was helping. She was in anguish and I was in just as deep as her.

"I'm trying. It's not working" I told him. But sharing in her pain seemed to lessen it, if only marginally, so I took it gladly.

"What is wrong? What is she feeling?" Carlisle asked. He was becoming really worried.

"She's in the middle of something. A dream maybe, because she is not quite awake. But she is scared out of her wits. It's so strong if I was standing it would knock me to my knees" I told Carlisle. I knew hiding anything wouldn't help the situation.

Carlisle looked at me and I could feel his desperation to do something, anything. "Let me feel it" he requested.

I looked at him shocked. He had never asked this of me before.

"Are you sure?" I asked. I knew it to be excruciating but he wasn't used to feeling others emotions.

"Yes, please Jasper, I need to know" he pleaded, something I had never seen from Carlisle before.

I transferred some of Bella's agony to Carlisle and watched as it twisted his face and then saw as tearless sobs racked his body when I took it away, the contacts he wore dissolving as venom filled his eyes.

"This is how she feels?" he choked out. I had never seen him break down, ever.

I placed my free hand on his shoulder. "Yes, and transferring it lessens it marginally, which is why I am sharing in her pain" I told him.

Bella started to stir before Carlisle could say anything else. I felt her conscious mind come into full weight and we both kept her hands as her eyelids fluttered.

Her abandonment had come into full focus as the pain receded, for which I was very thankful.

"Bella? Can you hear us darling?" I asked. I watched as she squeezed her eyelids shut.

She murmured "It's just a dream. There's no one here".

I felt her confusion as she squeezed our hands, the cold definitely evident. "We're here Bella. Come back to us" Carlisle whispered this time.

Her heart rate quickened as her fear increased. "It's okay Bella" I tried to tell her "open your eyes".

I sent her a wave of calm. Then felt her confusion again. "So real" she whispered.

"We are real sweetheart" Carlisle said. "Please open your eyes". I could feel his sorrow that she didn't want to believe we were here and his worry at her insistence not to open her eyes.

I watched as she opened her eyes and looked at Carlisle who was directly in her line of sight and then felt…fear? Fear of Carlisle?!

She tried to pull her knees into her chest, ripped her hands away from us, and let out a yelp of pain. "Get away from me!" she yelled, trying to curl up in a ball. Her heart was beating rapidly and she was absolutely terrified.

"Bella?" Carlisle asked stunned. He was completely taken-back, saddened, and horrified that he had scared her.

"I don't want to die" she whispered. She was trying to get as far away from Carlisle as possible.

"Bella…" he started again, reaching for her again.

"Stay back!" she yelled. We needed to quiet her before people came running to "help" her. I didn't want to see her sedated.

"What's wrong darlin'?" I asked. She glanced at me and then immediately I felt a sense of relief. She threw herself at me and if it hadn't of been for my reflexes I wouldn't have caught her.

She was crying into my chest. "Ja..as..per?" she gulped out.

"Yes?" I chuckled slightly at her questioning demeanor, but the crying and the fright at seeing Carlisle worried me.

"Protect me? Please" she got out in between sobs.

"What's gonna hurt you darlin'?" I asked, confused.

"Vampire" she whispered, and had it not been for my hearing I never would have heard her. But I was surprised, astounded. I mean she knew what we were. But she also knew we'd never hurt her, or at least she used to.

"Who Bella?" I asked, trying to lean back. She clutched at my shirt.

"Vampire" she choked out again.

I looked at Carlisle confused.

"Bella?" he spoke quietly.

"Carlisle?" she asked. "Is it really you?"

Bella asked, peering around my shoulder. She gasped when she obviously met his eyes, her heart rate quickening again.

"It's me sweetheart" he said, and I adjusted Bella so she was in my arms but facing Carlisle.

He took a small measured step forward.

"But your eyes?" she questioned. Then I could feel her shame as she realized that she had been afraid of Carlisle.

"Yes. It's okay. You know I'd never hurt you right?" he asked slowly sitting on the edge of the bed. I could feel his hesitance and hope that she would trust him.

She threw herself into his arms then. Sobbing again. And I took away the shame as she choked out apologies.

"Bella?" he asked.

"Yes, I know you'd never hurt me. But are you really even here?" she pulled back, Carlisle left his arms around her.

"Yes sweetheart we are" he told her. She traced his features, before throwing herself into his arms again, sobbing.

I could see it was going to be a long way back. But she had us. And we weren't leaving her. _Ever again. _


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N**

**So thanks for the awesome suggestions. I really enjoy writing different POV so you will definitely be getting lots of those, but I do plan on staying out of Bella's head as much as possible because that was the perspective we saw in the books (which I feel left a lot unsaid). Yes katiek121, I will most certainly do Rosalie for you, we're just not up to that point yet. Keep the ideas coming! They motivate me!**

**I wanted to write something a little different with Bella and Carlisle so I figured the last scene in chapter 9 did the job. I thought it would be an interesting twist since in the books Bella saw Carlisle as basically human, if she were now to see him only as a vampire, something that she was so accepting of, and be terrified. I hope you liked it from Jasper's perspective, but now without further ado here is Carlisle's side. **

Carlisle

Going through my day after leaving Bella in Jasper's care was hard. I wanted to stay with her. I never wanted to let her go. But I knew where my place was and the role I needed to play and thus leaving was a necessary part of the equation.

I saw to minor injuries throughout the day, nothing I deemed note-worry. But I was also drawn back to Bella's room every hour or so just to check, just to make sure she was ok. Jasper sat stoically by monitoring her non-change. But it was comforting to know he was with her.

I thought for a moment about the pride I had for my son. A year ago he would have a hard time being in the same room with the girl. Now he was holding her hand and watching over her without even a supervisor. I could see the way he looked at her. He loved her like Alice and Rosalie. She was truly a sister to him, but I also saw the fear he had when she was near. Fear that he might hurt her, fear that she wouldn't accept him. But what he hadn't realized was that she had accepted him the moment she walked through our front door.

She was an incredible girl really, and I was proud to think of her as a daughter in the past. Now I just hoped to have that option again. I so desperately wanted that option again.

At the end of my shift I hurried back to Bella's room. Jasper hadn't moved and simply nodded at me when I sat down. We talked little as we waited out the night, each left to our own thoughts.

I wondered at what Bella would think of our sudden reappearance in her life. When Edward had demanded that we leave immediately it had broken my heart, but I trusted my son. In hindsight I wished I had asked my daughter, trusted her desires as a factor to the equation. And I vowed it was not a mistake I would make again. We had seriously hurt her. If what Jasper had said was true than we had caused her to lose the will to do anything. I hadn't realized what our leaving would do to her but I shouldn't have let Edward sway my hand. Bella was not a normal human and surely I should have known that she wouldn't just "move on" with her life.

We are permanent beings, but when change comes, only in the form of love, that love, that change, was forever. I hadn't taken into account what the change of Edward's love, and all of our love, would do to her. I shouldn't have thought that she would be left unaffected. Surely our love had affected her, and now looking at her, how much weight she'd lost, how hallow Jasper said she was, I could see how our leaving had destroyed her. I so desperately wanted to fix this. I wanted her trust, I wanted her love, nothing had mattered so much to me in so long. Come to think of it, the last time I had cared this much about earning someone's trust was when Jasper and Alice had joined our family.

Alice had accepted us immediately, in her mind she already knew us, but Jasper, Jasper was a work in progress. It took a very long time for him to allow us to get close to him, let alone touch him. He was skittish and always on guard. It actually wasn't until Bella came into our lives that Jasper had let his guard down enough that he wasn't on alert at every second. Of course that was after he got to know her, after originally advocating for her immediate murder. He was trained in tactics and defense. She was something to defend against. But the something about her changed him, her goodness maybe. Such a simple yet rare concept. And something totally foreign to him. Then she became something to defend. Something, some_one_, that he loved. She was family.

I looked at my son now, across the bed from me holding Bella's other hand. He was totally focused on her. I reached out and stroked Bella's face, over and over again, just to assure myself that she was here, and that she was okay.

"Only a few more hours" I murmured. He nodded.

Early in the morning Bella began to stir.

"She's waking up" I smiled, but it slid from my face as I watched Jasper's face twist in agony.

He usually tried to hide his emotions, and those of others, so I was surprised to see him exhibit so much emotion, albeit unintentionally.

"What is it Jasper" I asked me, panic rising.

"She's terrified" he gasped out.

"Can you reach her? Calm her?" I asked, desperate to do something, anything.

I could tell he was trying. But it looked to be to no avail.

"I'm trying. It's not working" he told me. This worried me. Jasper's talent had always affected her before, so it meant that she must be feeling something extremely strong if Jasper couldn't reach her.

"What is wrong? What is she feeling?" I asked. I was becoming really worried now, and I knew he could feel my stress.

"She's in the middle of something. A dream maybe, because she is not quite awake. But she is scared out of her wits. It's so strong if I was standing it would knock me to my knees" he told me, more candidly than he was normally, which I was sure was for her sake.

I looked at Jasper and I knew he could feel my desperation to do something, anything. "Let me feel it" I requested.

He looked at me shocked. I had never asked this of him before.

"Are you sure?" he asked. I knew he'd never intentionally hurt me but I needed to know. I just knew had to experience this. I needed to know what it was like in her head right now.

"Yes, please Jasper, I need to know" I pleaded. Something I knew he had never seen from me before either, but I didn't care.

He must have transferred some of Bella's agony to me because that was something I had never experienced more. I know he had watched my face twist in the anguish I felt and then tearless sobs racked my body when he took it away, the contacts I wore dissolving as venom filled my eyes. But it didn't matter. I was only among family.

"This is how she feels?" I choked out. He had never seen me break down, ever. Of this I was sure, Edward and Esme were the only ones who had ever seen something remotely close to this. But I had never experienced such bone crushing agony as Jasper had shown me.

He placed his free hand on my shoulder, which only a few years ago would have been a monumental gesture. "Yes, and transferring it lessens it marginally, which is why I am sharing in her pain" he told me.

Bella started to stir before I could say anything else and we both turned our complete attention back to her. Her eyelids started to flutter.

"Bella? Can you hear us darling?" he asked. I watched as she squeezed her eyelids shut.

She murmured "It's just a dream. There's no one here".

This worried me. She needed to orient this with reality; we needed to reach her. "We're here Bella. Come back to us" I whispered this time.

Her heart rate quickened as I could tell her fear increased. "It's okay Bella" Jasper tried to tell her "open your eyes".

"So real" she whispered.

"We are real sweetheart" I said. "Please open your eyes". I felt sorrow clench my heart that she didn't want to believe we were here and worry at her insistence not to open her eyes. What had we done?

I watched as she opened her eyes and looked at me who was directly in her line of sight and then heard her heart rate pick up two-fold.

She tried to pull her knees into her chest, ripped her hands away from us, and let out a yelp of pain. "Get away from me!" she yelled, trying to curl up in a ball. Her heart was beating rapidly and I could tell she was absolutely terrified.

"Bella?" I asked stunned. I was completely taken-back, saddened, and horrified that I had scared her. I had scared my daughter? She was fearful _of me_? I guess that was what we deserved after leaving her like we did but I couldn't believe the terror I heard in her voice.

Even when she had first come to our house, shy and sweet, timid maybe, but never was she scared. Even in the face of James in that retched ballet studio had I heard or seen her this scared. And now she was terrified…of me? I was incredulous and ashamed.

"I don't want to die" she whispered. She was trying to get as far away from me as possible.

"Bella…" I started again, reaching for her, completely forgetting what she was afraid of in my desire to comfort her. I usually hesitated to touch patients in fear that my cold skin would become noticeable to them and make them think too much, but Bella was very accustomed to our touch, and never once had I hurt her. So why was she so terrified of me? What had I done?

"Stay back!" she yelled. I glanced at Jasper, we needed to quiet her before people came running to "help" her. I didn't want to see her sedated.

"What's wrong darlin'?" Jasper asked, still seated close to her. She glanced at him and it was like she was first acknowledging his presence. She threw herself into his arms and if it hadn't of been for his reflexes I don't think he would have caught her.

She was crying into his chest. "Ja..as..per?" she gulped out.

"Yes?" he chuckled slightly at her questioning demeanor, but there was a tightness to his voice that I didn't know if she could hear.

"Protect me? Please" she got out in between sobs.

"What's gonna hurt you darlin'?" he asked, clearly confused, rubbing her back. After all it was only the three of us in the room.

"Vampire" she whispered, and had it not been for my hearing I never would have heard her. But I was surprised, astounded. I mean she knew what we were. But she also knew we'd never hurt her, or at least she used to. My heart clenched.

And then it dawned on me. She was fearing for her life because of my presence. My eyes were red. She immediately associated red with death. Yellow was safe but red meant she was food. My heart went out to my human daughter who was clinging to her brother like her life depended on it because of my eyes. I was ashamed. She had never seen any of my family, our family I corrected myself, with red eyes. She knew that slips had occurred but had never seen it first-hand. And now, with the orbs of my eyes glistening red she knew that I had drank human blood. She assumed I had killed, and now she was food. I understood why she was terrified, but it saddened me to no end that it was my fault, and it was me that she stood shaking in fear against.

"Who Bella?" he asked, trying to lean back. She clutched at his shirt. But he hadn't just had the epiphany that I had.

"Vampire" she choked out again.

He looked at me confused, then understanding brightened his eyes.

"Bella?" I spoke quietly.

"Carlisle?" she asked, confused, listening to my voice rather than seeing my face. "Is it really you?"

Bella asked, peering around Jasper's shoulder. She gasped when she obviously met my eyes, her heart rate quickening again.

"It's me sweetheart" I said, as Jasper adjusted Bella so she was in still in his arms but facing me. He was trying to show her everything was okay but that there was nothing to fear.

I took a small measured step forward. I didn't want to scare her again but I needed to be closer to her. I needed to make her understand.

"But your eyes?" she questioned. Then I saw her shame that Jasper certainly felt when she realized she had been cowering away from me.

"Yes. It's okay. You know I'd never hurt you right?" I asked slowly sitting on the edge of the bed. I was hesitant but I needed to know the answer to this question if I was to repair any sort of relationship with her. I hoped I could gain her trust again.

She threw herself into my arms then, sobbing. She choked out apologies then, and how I wanted to explain everything to her then and now but knew it would have to wait until we were home, safe from prying eyes and ears.

"Bella?" I asked, more to make sure she was okay than anything else, although I did want an answer to my burning question.

"Yes, I know you'd never hurt me. But are you really even here?" she pulled back; I left my arms around her. Her question broke my heart yet again in a short time frame. I could see the hope and fear in her eyes. We had done this. And I was going to fix it, if it was the last thing I did.

"Yes sweetheart we are" I told her. She traced my features, soft, nimble fingers touching my face, ensuring I was real, before throwing herself into my arms again, still sobbing uncontrollably.

I just rocked her in my arms as she drifted off to sleep. She would reawaken hours later and then we would get a start on mending the relationships of our family that my oldest and youngest son had destroyed in one fateful afternoon. But for now she needed rest, she needed to regain her strength and I was content to hold her as her mind drifted into oblivion.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N**

**So I did something a little out of the ordinary with Chapters 9 and 10 in that I showed the same scene from two different perspectives, Jasper (Chapter 9) and then Carlisle (Chapter 10). I promise to not repeat scenes often but as this was a pivotal part of the plot I felt that it was very important to see both sides. (And if you skipped Chapter 10 because it was a bit of a repeat you are going to want to go back and read it, Carlisle had quite a few internal thoughts that might be valuable…)**

**I am glad that many people reacted to Carlisle's eyes. I definitely enjoyed writing that scene and will more than certainly come back into play. **

**And for those of you who asked for other POV's I promise to do Esme and Rosalie in short order. Edward will come in eventually but there are some issues that need to be resolved first.**

**Without any more commentary from the peanut gallery, I hope you enjoy Chapter 11. And I apologize for any inconvenience my delay in updating may have caused. **

Carlisle

I held Bella through the rest of the morning after she had cried herself to sleep. Jasper helped me move her to a more comfortable position so that she was resting against my chest while he sat at her feet.

We both just watched over her as she regained her strength. We had a lot we needed to discuss but first she needed to be well enough to be released from the hospital.

About 3 hours later Bella began to stir again. I continued to stroke her arm so as not to startle her. I smiled as she curled closer into my chest.

"Bella sweetheart?" I spoke quietly. I held her to my chest, unwilling to relinquish my hold on her.

"So real" she whispered "so cold". She grasped my shirt in her fists.

"We're real Bella. We're really here. Open your eyes, come back to us" I spoke softly.

She squeezed her eyes shut and her heart rate picked up. Crap. Looks like it's going to be the same as a few hours ago.

"Bella" Jasper added, picking up her hand and squeezing her fingers gently "come on darlin' we want to see those beautiful eyes".

She hesitantly opened her eyes and looked at Jasper, then began crying. "I knew I was dreaming" she sobbed as she turned her face into my chest, not even acknowledging my presence.

"Bella we are here. And we're here to stay" I said, stroking her hair this time. She yanked her head up at the sound of my voice and just stared at me shocked.

"Carlisle?" she asked in awe.

"Yes?" I smiled at her, hand still on her hair.

"Your eyes? I must be dreaming. But why would I dream you with red eyes?" Bella asked, clearly confused.

"I know sweetheart" I told her resuming running a hand through her hair "but I will explain everything later ok? You are here. And we are here. And you are awake." She started sobbing.

She looked astonished, and then it changed to panic, her breathing turning to gasps.

I looked at Jasper. "What is going on?" I asked too low for her to hear.

"She can't seem to orient this with reality. We need to get through to her. She is going to panic again" he replied.

"Bella, tell me what's wrong?" I requested.

"When I wake up you will both be gone and I will be alone, and the pain will come back. Why did you do this to me?" Bella pleaded with me.

That hit me like a truck. Bella thought she was dreaming so her thoughts were unfiltered. She was baring her soul to us and I realized I could ask her anything right now and she would tell me. But what astounded me what that she thought we were at fault. Bella was always so closed off with her feelings, but clearly this was the truth. And what was worse was that she was right, this was our fault.

"Bella why did the pain start?" I asked.

"Because you left. You ripped my life away from me, or at least the one you promised me. You cost me my family, the only one I ever truly felt a part of" she answered, her breathing returning slightly to normal.

"And is the pain better now?" I asked again.

"Yes, but I know that when I wake up it will come back. But I figured that while I'm here I might as well enjoy it. This is new. I don't usually feel like I'm having a conversation in my dreams" she smiled up at me.

I smiled back, but it was forced. My heart broke for her. She really thought she was dreaming. But I also realized this would probably be my only chance to get answers so I better ask the right questions. Bella was going to mad later no matter what so I might as well get answers out of this scenario.

"So what did Edward say to you when we left?" I asked the most important question first, resuming stroking her hair.

Bella looked down, averting her eyes. "I don't want to talk about it" she replied. How Bella, but unfortunately I needed answers.

"Please sweetheart, you can tell me anything. You know that" I tried to play it up, but I also realized that was how I truly felt with all of my other children so why not Bella?

She took a deep breath and looked at me. "He said he didn't want me. Didn't love me. That I didn't belong with him. That him and his family were moving and that I couldn't come." She began to let her body rock with sobs and I held her even tighter to my chest.

I saw red. How dare he? How dare Edward tell this precious girl that she was unloved and unwanted? And how dare he not tell the family about the rest of his plan? She was a member of that family, not an addition to it, something to be cast off. He was so lucky I couldn't reach him at the moment or I would have done some serious damage. Never one to condone violence I was shocked with myself but not enough to waver from that train of thought.

I glanced to Jasper and saw that he was in the same vein of thought. He was frozen where he was and staring at Bella as if what she had just uttered was the deepest, darkest kind of blasphemy, which when you thought about it, it was.

"Please tell me I can hurt him" Jasper spoke in a monotone that I knew was a deadly controlled.

"Not if I do it first" I replied. His gaze snapped to mine and I could see when he keyed into my emotions. His eyes widened a little.

He simply nodded. "We will discuss this is length later with the rest of the family, part of it will depend on what Bella eventually decides but right now she is my priority along with the on 6 members of the family that are still living under our roof. Edward is not welcome in our house until and if Bella gives the say so".

He looked at me and gave a curt nod. Then we both turned our attention back to Bella.

"Bella I want you to look at me darlin'" Jasper spoke, putting a finger under her chin.

She hesitantly met his eyes. "You are loved. And you are a part of this family no matter what anyone says to you. Do you understand me?" Jasper's voice was quiet but let no room for argument. It was definitive. Mess with her and they'd have to go through him.

She nodded then pulled him in for a hug. He carefully wrapped his own arms around the girl as she leaned away from my chest. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes.

Then she released him and snuggled back into my side, for which I was very grateful, I wanted her near, I wanted, or needed rather, to comfort her. My little human daughter in so much pain.

"So how is the pain now?" I asked, in doctor mode again.

"It's receded, but I'll have to start all over again when I wake up. I know you are just here out of guilt, even in the dream world." She said, resting her head on my chest.

Guilt? She thought we were here out of guilt? Wow. Had we left her so broken and misguided as so thinking that we didn't love her for her and only as Edward's mate? Had we destroyed her so much as for her to honestly believe that we didn't want her? The only rational explanation I could come up with, as irrational as it sounded to me, was yes. Yes, she really believed those lies. I was filled with a newfound hatred for my son.

"You think we are here out of guilt?" Jasper asked the obvious question, but I could hear the astonishment in his voice.

"Absolutely, what other reason could there be?" now it was Bella that looked confused.

Jasper turned to me. "If it wouldn't finish her off I would kill him" he whispered, and I knew if I didn't stop him then he really would carry it out, if not for the girl in my arms.

"Bella you must be under a misapprehension because we are here for you. We aren't here out of guilt, although we do feel guiltier then you could possibly fathom for leaving you originally, but we are here because we love _you_." I spoke.

She looked up into my eyes as tears slid down her cheeks. "I knew this was a bitter sweet dream" Bella said. "I always wanted you for my father Carlisle, and you for my brother Jasper" Bella reached for and grasped his hand. "I wanted Esme for a mother and Alice and Rosalie for sisters, and let's not forget the big teddy bear Emmett" she choked out.

"What Edward offered me with you wasn't just himself, it was a family, and that was what I lost. I can never hope to regain that. I loved all of you" she said turning her face into my chest, still holding Jasper's hand.

If my heart could have stopped it would have been in that moment. What she had wanted was a family, we had given her that, but we also had taken that away. I had always wanted to call Bella my daughter but I didn't know how she would react, but to hear her say that was what she had wanted, her thoughts, in what she thought was her dream world caused me immense amounts of pain. We had abandoned her. Then something dawned on me.

"You said _loved_ Bella" I asked.

"Yes?" she whispered.

"That's past tense. Do you not still love us?" I asked, I knew it was a cruel question but I needed to know the answer, I needed to know where her head was at.

"Of course I still love you! Nothing will ever change that, but I know you don't love me, but that's okay, I'm just a silly human anyway" she sniffled.

"Isabella Marie Cullen, do you honestly believe that we don't love you?" I pulled away from her to look her in the eye, thrilling to the use of her new last name.

"Cullen?" she asked, a spark of hope in her eyes.

"Yes, Cullen. You are a member of this family, but answer the question. Do you honestly believe that we don't love you? Don't care about you? Don't want you?" I asked, appalled at the answer I might get.

"Yes" she gulped out.

"You're wrong" I spit vehemently, hugging her to me.

"What?" she gasped at the quick movement.

"You heard me. You're wrong. We love you. We want you." I cradled her in my arms never wanting to let her go.

"But I am not a part of your family" she whispered.

"Isabella" I looked at her waiting for her to meet my eyes "you are a member of this family until the day you choose otherwise. You are a Cullen. Not by marriage or my change but by choice. We love you. _I_ love you" I stared into her startled eyes.

Tears streamed down her face. "I knew this was too good to be true".

I laughed hard. She still thought she was asleep.

"Bella you really are awake. In fact you are in the hospital. Would you like to go home?" I asked her.

Her heart rate picked up higher then I had yet to hear it and considering the events of the past few days that said quite a bit.

"Bella what's wrong?" Jasper gasped out, almost doubled over in what I was guessing was pain.

"You want me to leave? You're sending me away again? I thought you said you loved me" she cried, clearly heart broken.

"Bella, Bella" I rushed to placate the girl. "We aren't asking if you want to go back to Forks, we are asking if you want to come home with us. If you feel you are ready to leave the hospital."

As the words sunk in I could hear her heart rate come back to a fairly normal rate, and Jasper was able to sit back up, although he looked troubled.

"Are you alright?" I asked my son.

"I will be when she is" he answered through tight lips.

"I am going home with you?" Bella asked confused.

"Only if you want" I told her. Well she really didn't have a choice but I was still hoping she would come of her own accord.

"I don't want to be a burden" she replied, looking down.

We had really messed her up. She never liked gifts or attention to begin with but this went beyond that.

"You are never a burden. But it is still your choice. We can find alternate arrangements if you'd be more comfortable, but to be honest I would rather you come home with us, at least until you are fully healed. Then whether you want to stay with us permanently is your own decision." I told her.

"I…would rather stay close to you" she admitted looking up into my eyes "both of you" she amended, looking at Jasper.

"Then it's settled you will come home" I said emphasizing the word. It was, after all, hers as well, even if she didn't fully grasp that concept yet.

"And it will be ok?" she asked looking at me. There were so many things she could be referring to so I simply asked my own question instead.

"Do you trust me?" I asked, my heart burning with the desire to know the answer.

"Irrevocably" she replied.

I smiled at her. It was going to be a long road back but we were going to get there. Small steps. The journey of a thousand miles, or in our case, years, begins with a single step.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N**

**I apologize for the delay. Sometimes life gets crazy, but hopefully you'll forgive me and enjoy this addition. I will update again ASAP.**

Carlisle

The day moved by slowly, Bella simply stayed snuggled into my chest content to clutch my shirt in her hands. She didn't really speak, just let me hold her and continue to stroke her hair. After saying that she trusted me "irrevocably" she had fallen silent, seemingly relaxed that we weren't sending her away, although I wasn't really sure she believed that she was awake.

In the afternoon Jasper's phone chimed and he handed me another pair of contacts. "Alice" he shrugged, and spoke too low for Bella to hear. I put them in just as Dr. Faulkner came in the room. He walked in reading Bella's chart not really noticing who was in the room. Upon seeing the doctor, Bella cringed into my side and hide her face in my shoulder.

Dr. Faulker was a rather self-absorbed man, but was by all my observation's a competent doctor, although his bedside manner left something to be desired. Without looking up, he began to speak.

"I see Dr. Cullen attended to your injuries in the ER. It doesn't look like anything too serious. Broken leg. I see he casted it. And it was suspected you had broken some ribs but it appears they were just bruised. Minor cuts to the face. Overall I'd have to say you fared pretty well considering the severity of the accident you were in" he finished, finally looking up.

First he met my eyes and then glanced to the terrified girl at my side. He looked quite surprised. Jasper shifted slightly, keeping up our human façade and spoke too low and fast for the human to hear.

"He is quite surprised, but also appalled and disgusted that you are in the bed with her" Jasper warned me.

"Hello Dr. Faulker" I greeted the man.

"Dr. Cullen…what are you doing in bed with a patient?" he replied, letting some of his displeasure seep into his tone.

"Well…" Carlisle began but was cut off.

"You know the rules! I can't believe you would ever cross that line! And think of Mrs. Cullen!" he roared.

I wanted to jump up and strangle the man at the assertion but found a wave of calm overcoming me. I threw a glance in Jasper's direction. He was fuming.

I carefully untangled myself from Bella and got to my feet.

Bella then began sobbing and all eyes turned to her.

"What's wrong Bella?" I asked, turning back to her instantly.

"Don't leave me Dad" he choked out desperately.

"Never sweetheart" I told her, reaching for her hand.

She took my outstretched hand and I let her pull me closer.

"Then why did you move away" she cried, still clutching Jasper's hand desperately.

I just looked at her pitiful sobbing form and all of the fight went out of me. "I'm here now" I told her sitting down beside her as she threw her arms around me and starting sobbing again, still holding Jasper's hand behind my back as if it was her lifeline. It was a good thing Jasper had anticipated her move and moved with her.

Dr. Faulkner looked at me over Bella's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize…"

This time I cut him off. "You didn't give me a chance to explain. This is my daughter Isabella and I would never do anything to harm her. As I would never do anything to harm _any of my patients._ Just that you think that I might is an insult to my integrity." I finished.

"I'm sorry…" he started again.

"No I'm sorry that you jump to conclusions. Now when can my daughter be released?" I asked.

He looked at her chart again quickly. "Ur, um, tomorrow morning, provided she will be cared for…" he trailed off looking at my murderous expression.

"Right, tomorrow morning. I'll have her paperwork ready. I'm assuming you're staying the night?" he took one look at my face and answered his own question "right, I'll inform the nurses. Good night Doctor". And then he practically bolted from the room.

"Well his insinuation was idiotic but the rest of that was pretty comical" Jasper laughed lightly, too low for anyone's ears but mine.

I smiled at him. Sometimes it was fun to intimidate people.

"I just can't believe he'd actually say that. Think I would hurt her like that" I replied just for him. I shivered at the thought. I would kill anyone who laid a hand on my daughter. My son included.

I looked down at Bella who was still wrapped in my arms and laid back down draping her over my chest. One hand clutched my shirt the other Jasper's hand.

"You okay now darlin'?" Jasper asked.

She simply nodded.

"Okay so tomorrow the three of us are going home Bella" I said emphasizing that we were all going the same place, lest she panic again.

"Alice will be happy to see you" Jasper smiled at her, rubbing soothing circles on the back of her hand.

"And Esme has a room for you" I told her quietly.

She just nodded.

"And we'll be a family" Jasper drawled.

Bella nodded again. I sighed.

I hoped that tomorrow would bring better progress then this but at least we would be home where we could freely discuss sensitive matters and we could hopefully help her understand that this was reality and we were here. That we loved her. At least before we had to help her bury Charlie…


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N**

**Thank you for the reviews and favorites. Truly they inspire me. The more I get the harder I try to find the time to write because if I don't I feel as if I am letting you guys down! So thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's really important!**

Jasper

It was very distressing to watch Bella in so much pain. It was an exercise in masochism to be in a hospital but Bella's blood no longer held any temptation for me. After the disastrous end to her birthday and the amount of pain it had caused my entire family it would kill me if I hurt her.

Other humans were however a different story and being in a hospital was, in today's terms, suckish. But I would do it for Bella. I would do anything for Bella. My little sister, my little fragile human sister that didn't even realize we loved so much.

After that jackwagon of a doctor had left, Bella simply stayed curled into Carlisle's side. She seemed in one of her empty stages, there was no other way to describe it. She was breathing, and awake, but without life. Without Bella.

This stage was one of the new things that scared me about Bella. She had always been a happy member of our family. I'll admit, when I had first heard of her, and what she knew I had wanted to kill her. She was a liability. But when Edward had stepped in to protect her he had shocked me. I knew in that moment that things were about to change. But I never would have guessed they would be for the better.

When Bella came to our house for the first time I had felt her shy demeanor and her trepidation, but never fear. She was nervous we might reject her, but she wasn't scared _of_ us. This surprised me. She knew what we were, and surely Edward had shown her what we were capable of, but somehow this little human had walked into our house, a house filled with 7 vampires, virtually unafraid. Only worried we might not approve of her. The situation had been laughable.

But as I got to spend time around her I noticed a shift not just in Edward or myself but in everyone's emotions. We all had truly come to care for the girl. We wanted to be around her. She made us happy and we made her happy. She had become a part of our family, however unlikely it would have seemed possible.

I wanted to be closer to her but it was difficult. Edward had all but threatened me and I understood where he was coming from, I really did, but her emotions were just so appealing. I would imagine the pull of her blood was similar for him as the pull of her emotions were on me. I didn't love her in the sense that he did but I did love her like a sister and I enjoyed her company, however fleeting it was.

It was amazing how quickly she had come into our lives and we had let her into our hearts. Carlisle had once explained to us that change happens for one of our kind it is forever but I had never really understood that until Bella joined us. Surely I loved Alice with all of my heart and I found companionship and joy with my family but I think being in new surroundings and always on guard when we had joined the Cullens I had missed the shift that had occurred when we opened our hearts to them, Alice and I. I hadn't missed that change in terms of Bella, and it astounded me.

Whether my family realized it or not, our fate was sealed the day Bella made the decision to come to Forks. She was bound to become a member of our family. Carlisle and Esme were the parents she had always wanted but never had, Emmett and I the big brothers who protected her and Alice the dotting older sister. Even Rosalie hadn't noticed when her emotions changed to ones first of compassion, and then sympathy, before care, affection, and finally love had come into the picture. Bella was her sister too, and whether she wanted to admit it or not she loved her, just as much as the rest of us, and Edward and I both knew that.

Edward, the bastard. Everything had finally been right. And then her birthday happened. I could tell she was embarrassed and didn't want to be there. But always wanting to please she had allowed us to celebrate, and Alice, admittedly had overdone it. And although I knew it was my fault for overreacting to Bella's paper cut. What a stupid thing to overact on. It was Edward's idiotic decision that had led us to Bella's current state.

I was sure she blamed me for Edward's leaving but although I would shoulder some of the blame I didn't believe it was fully my burden to bear. He had made himself and the rest of the family miserable with his ludicrous decision to abandon her. And now that Carlisle and I had heard the manner in which he had done it, he was as good as dead. I couldn't kill him, because it would destroy my precious little sister, but I could seriously harm him. And harm him I would.

Hopefully Bella would forgive me and we could move forward. She certainly didn't seem to be afraid of me but then again she did still think she was in the dream world. I glanced down at her again just as my phone chimed.

I pulled it out and glanced at the text from my wife, "Fresh applesauce at the nurse's station. She will eat it but not if we were to have overwhelmed her. See you tom. Love Ya, A".

I nodded to Carlisle and walked down the hall before pausing at the nurse's station to see an elderly woman working behind the desk.

She looked up at me, "Can I help you?" she asked sweetly, her breath blowing across my face as I concentrated on breathing slowly in and out.

"Yes, my sister said she left some applesauce here" I replied trying very hard not to think about the way this poor innocent woman smelled; I really needed to hunt.

"Ah yes, you must be Jasper?" she asked, smiling.

"Yes Ma'am" I replied, southern charms still came in handy every once and a while.

"Well here you go sweetheart" she said handing me a basket "your sister is so thoughtful. I hope the patient gets better soon".

I smiled in response. "Me too. Thank you" I responded before walking back down the hall at what I hoped was a semi-human speed.

I moved into Bella's room and handed Carlisle the basket. He glanced at me, before readjusting Bella on his chest so she'd be more comfortable.

"Are you ok?" he asked, noting my wild expression.

"Fine" I replied curtly.

He saw my black pupils and calmly stated "you need to hunt".

"I know. But I can't leave her" I admitted. It was too painful to think about.

"Jasper, if you are going to help her you need to be at your full strength" he reminded me.

"Fine, I'll leave when she falls asleep and be back before she wakes. I won't go far" I warned him.

"That's amenable I guess. So long as you promise me to satisfy your thirst. You're no good to her thirsty" he chastised gently.

"I promise" I nodded gravely; I knew all too well the importance of being full around Bella. But honestly he didn't know about the shift that had happened since the last time I had seen her. My control was perfect around her. Probably equal to Carlisle's because my body rebelled with every fiber of by being against hurting her.

Carlisle turned back to Bella. "Bella? Are you hungry?" he asked.

She shook her head at him. He let out a quiet sigh that I knew she could feel if not hear based upon the flash of disappointment I felt from her, in herself it seemed.

"Will you try for me sweetheart? Just a little something?" Carlisle asked gently. She really did look too thin and I could feel the worry flowing off Carlisle at her reluctance.

She looked up at him and then nodded shyly as he readjusted her to more of a sitting position so she wouldn't choke on her applesauce. That would be so Bella. Survive a car accident to choke on applesauce. I shook my head and my own train of thought.

Carlisle carefully opened the basket and pulled out the contents. I thought it was just applesauce, but tt seemed as if Esme had made a little of everything: applesauce, chicken soup, pudding, and even some bread. The woman just couldn't help herself. I smiled slightly.

"What would you like?" Carlisle asked Bella who was tucked under his arm leaning into his side.

"Pudding" Bella replied without hesitation. Both Carlisle and I smiled. It would good to see a little of the old rebellious Bella returning.

Carlisle opened the container and then pulled a spoon from the basket too. Bella reached for it and after glancing at her, Carlisle handed it to her.

But only one bite in Bella's hand began shaking and Carlisle had to take the spoon away as I disappeared the applesauce before she broke down sobbing.

"What's wrong Bella?" Carlisle asked, rocking her back and forth gently, still enfolded in his arms. He was confused and worried, understandably, at her behavior. She was just sad, and slightly scared.

"I don't want you to leave" Bella admitted.

"We won't leave you. Ever again. I promise." Carlisle reassured her. He was getting really worried now.

"But he said that before" she whispered out, just loud enough for our hearing to catch.

"Well he made a grave error dear one, and _we _won't leave you again" Carlisle said, pulling her impossibly closer.

She just nodded. She had resigned herself to the idea that this was a dream and as much as I wanted to take her away right now and knock some sense into her I knew it would have to wait for tomorrow when we were home. It just killed me to see her like this.

"Sleep now. Tomorrow we'll go home and then we'll explain everything. I will be right here with you all night" Carlisle promised.

Bella nodded again, burying her face in his chest.

I sighed. Carlisle looked at me.

"I'll leave when she's asleep" I said too low for her to hear. He nodded in answer. That seemed to be the answer of the day.

It didn't take too long for Bella to fall into the land of dreams and I looked at Carlisle protectively holding her in his arms. Under better circumstances it would have been a pretty picture.

"Go Jasper" he whispered, softly even for one of us.

I looked at Bella and felt the overwhelming need to touch her. I gently leaned in and kissed the top of her head. Carlisle froze as I made the movement but didn't act to stop me, for which I was beyond grateful.

He smiled at me and I could feel his pride and love flowing forth from his soul into mine.

I gave him a smile in return before I disappeared out of the hospital and into the surrounding trees. For the sooner I left the sooner I could return to the bedside of my little sister.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N**

**Thanks again for all the support! The reviews mean I owe you another chapter, albeit a short one at the moment for the purposes of plot, but I promise the next one will be much longer (and include the VERY important Bella homecoming). Enjoy!**

Rosalie

I paced back and forth across the room. Ever since we had come home from the hospital there had been a flurry of excitement going on.

Alice and Esme had been rushing around trying to get everything in order both for Bella to come home and for Charlie's funeral. That's what bothered me, humans were so frail.

Bella thought I hated her. The truth was that I didn't hate her. I envied her. Well, I had until Edward had left her. Then I had pitied her.

But these were just the top of my emotions, the superficial ones. I realized after we had moved that I had simply not admitted to the deeper ones.

And if I was being truly honest with myself I would have to admit that I had missed her. Carlisle had explained to all of us that when I change comes it is permanent. And Bella had changed all of us, myself included.

But it wasn't until we moved away that I realized how very much that was. She was a part of our everyday lives and her absence was ever-present. I had been surprised that my heart ached.

It was in the last few months that I had come to realize that as much as I had tried not letting Bella in, as much as I had tried keeping myself at arm's length, I had become attached.

I kept myself aloof so that I couldn't get hurt again. What happened with my fiancé before my change, that love, that attachment, and then that loss was not something I could go through again so it wasn't until we had "lost" Bella that I realized that she was a part of this family, and a part of my life.

I loved her.

This revelation was one of great importance to me. It frustrated me that I had once again become attached to someone I could lose. And at this point, had lost.

That was one of the things I loved about Emmett. As much as he was a great person and I loved him with all my heart, he could never leave me. I could never lose him.

But Bella was a different story and I hated Edward for sending her away. He had not been better off, looking at her she had most certainly not been better off, and the family as a whole had suffered. And after looking at Carlisle I saw there would be hell to pay for this. Good.

I liked having Bella around and having her missing was like the life had gone out of the house.

At first I had been frustrated by this, but then I realized that the bonds of my family superseded most vampire bonds because of our humanity, because of Bella really.

I had never been a religious person, but I had always believed in destiny. I was destined to be turned so that I could find true happiness with Emmett. We had been created by Carlisle and taught to refrain from killing humans so allow us to become close to someone like Bella.

Bella was created to be Edward's match and the missing piece of our family. Vampires were strongest in mated pairs and nothing could break that bond, but the value of family was something that had been overlooked. When 4 pairs of mated vampires not only loved their mate but their family…well we'd never been attacked but surely that must count for something.

It was because of Bella that we were complete. Or rather, that we had been. She was our link to the humanity we left behind but we were also her link to the destiny she was made for. After witnessing her lack of balance and complete trust in us, despite knowing full-well what we were, I have no doubt that she was born to become a vampire.

I first had thought that she was giving up her humanity to become an immortal, but really what I came to realize was that she wasn't giving it up, she was channeling it. She had changed us. They say our mark is left on the world by those we touch, those we affect. She affected us.

I don't think anyone else in the house had come really come to understand how important Bella was to our family. But it was just too hard for me to come out and tell them what I really thought. The time just wasn't right yet.

But one thing was for sure. Sometime soon I would have to tell Bella what I really thought about her, and how important I thought she was in all of our lives. She truly was a gift. Even if my idiot brother had thrown it away.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N**

**Okay so the end of this chapter and the beginning of the next is what I based my entire story around, one of those "what if" scenarios. I hope you like it, but either way please let me know what you think! And for those of you who asked for a longer chapter you certainly got it here! Thanks as always for all the support. Enjoy! **

Carlisle

I looked down at Bella sleeping in my arms and sighed slightly. Given what I had just witnessed with Jasper about her reluctance to admit this was reality I knew tomorrow would be a hard day but at least we would be able to get her home and I would be able to get her out of pain.

The girl was just being beyond ridiculous! She honestly thought we would leave her again? After…my thoughts trailed off. It was no use going over this now. I might as well wait to get the full story from her tomorrow. My thoughts shifted to my newest son who had been ever-present recently.

I was immensely impressed with Jasper. Being around humans had been hard for him from the very beginning. 70 plus years of killing humans and feeling their agony and terror as he killed them had not just damaged him but also left him wary of being around humans. Actually being around anyone in general.

_When Jasper and Alice had first joined our family Jasper had been extremely wary of us. I could understand that, he didn't know us. But he was so hesitant, so very on edge, and on guard, all the time that I finally approached Edward about it after they'd been living with us for six months. Edward had told me then that Jasper had feared for his life when he and Alice had come to join us. To say I was appalled would have been an understatement._

_Edward explained that in the South, as in every coven Jasper had witnessed, the males were killed if the coven was bigger than three. Two men and one woman seemed to be the max, although even three was admittedly rare. A coven such as ours, I had flinched at the word, was unheard of. It made Jasper the fourth male and Alice the third female, it was just beyond comprehension for Jasper that he shouldn't fear for his life._

_But Alice was so confident in us that Jasper had let her drag him along in her quest to become a part of our family. I just couldn't believe that Jasper had thought that we would harm him, but put into Edward's terms everything just made sense. _

_In all of that time Jasper wouldn't turn his back to us, being extremely careful as he exited rooms, he wouldn't allow us to touch him, or if we got too close he would flinch. It wasn't until I actually talked to him that I even discovered he had a gift. Alice had told us about hers immediately, otherwise their moving in wouldn't have made sense, but Jasper had not been so inclined. _

_As soon as Edward told me what the problem was I ached to correct it. Finally I was able to get Jasper alone after a week's time. He accompanied me on a walk, after getting out of hearing range of course._

_Jasper had turned to me as soon as we had broken the mile marker that ensured we were out of range, immediately on the defensive, almost into a crouch._

"_What do you want?" he has asked me, still very much ready to spring, if necessary._

"_To understand you" I inquired, sitting on a fallen log and holding my hands up in a placating gesture._

_He had slipped out of his crouch then but still looked very much on edge._

"_What do you want to know?" he asked, more subdued._

"_Edward says you believe that we will destroy you?" I questioned him, wanting to get the big things out of the way first. _

_He looked at me very stoically, obviously trying very hard not to react. I had simply held his gaze until he was ready to reply._

"_I used to" he had whispered softly._

"_But you don't anymore?" I had replied, letting my hope seep into my voice._

"_I think we can trust you not to harm us but in my experience things that are too good to be true usually are. I've never had a family but I've always wanted one. So to be offered that just seems like the world taunting me right before horror befalls us" Jasper had told me, dropping his stance if only marginally. _

"_Jasper…" I had started to be cut off._

"_Let me finish please" he had waited until I nodded to continue "I did not have an exceedingly happy human life. I ran away and faked my age in order to get away from an abusive drunk father and join the Army. My mother died giving birth to me and I don't think he ever forgave me for it. I never had any other family. I was good at what I did in the Army, rising to the rank of Major. I could sway people with what I said. Alice called it charisma. But one night outside of camp and I came across three women. I offered my aid and well it turned out I was who would have needed the aid. I woke up a vampire and then joined Maria's coven. Years passed, the southern vampire wars ensued and I was her right hand. I controlled the newborns that she created. Long story short I also disposed of the newborns when they were deemed un-useful. It killed me to kill. I hated it. It was like ripping apart my soul. I know Alice told you about Peter and Charlotte" I had nodded again (Alice had told me that story, but not given me the full context) "but living with them depressed me. Alice had truly been my savior." He smiled._

_I watched him as he moved to sit with his back to a tree, affectively removing himself from his aggressive place in towering over me, even from several feet away. I was just trying to take in all he had told me._

"_I just can't believe that after living with us for 6 months that you thought we'd kill you!" I told him astonished, "I understand not completely trusting us but going as so far as to think we'd harm you…" I had trailed off severely distressed. I had already begun to think of both Alice and Jasper as additional children. The idea that I could harm either of them was ludicrous. I was crushed._

"_Alice foresaw us coming to live with you and following your diet and I must say that has been the other part of my salvation. It is as if a weight has been lifted off my chest to refrain from killing humans for sustenance but I still don't know where we fit in your coven" Jasper told me carefully._

_I looked at him; he was actually talking to me, actually letting me in. I had to try and get me point across to him. _

"_Well I must say thank you for sharing all of that with me Jasper. It means a lot that you were open with me about this but I must also say I am beyond disappointed" he looked down, and I rushed to correct myself "in myself that I didn't see this problem sooner" he looked up to tentatively meet my gaze. _

"_If we're the problem we will leave" he rushed to stand._

"_No, no!" I held my hands up, affectively stopping him in his tracks, the idea of them leaving broke my heart and I knew it would kill Esme. _

"_I am disappointed that I didn't try and figure out what was going on sooner. Jasper you and Alice are a part of this family. This is not a coven, this is a family, and both of you are treasured members of said family. I am sorry that you have been under this misapprehension that we would harm either you or Alice but that is simply not the case. We love you" I told him, letting my heart fill to the brim with the love I felt for him._

_I watched as his eyes widened. "You…love…us?" He gasped out._

"_Jasper you are very much children to both Esme and I. I hope we haven't been too presumptuous in assuming you would be staying but we hoped you would. We want you to be a part of our family, or rather to stay a part of our family. We would never stop you from going but we would really enjoy it if you stayed with us" I had spoken getting up to stand, Jasper matched me._

"_But…why?" Jasper asked, still stunned._

_I chuckled. "They've always said some family be are born with others we choose. Venom links Esme, Edward, Rosalie, Emmett and I, we are family in the blood sense. But you and Alice are family we are choosing to have join us. We truly enjoy having you around. But I do wish you wouldn't think such horrible things such as us wanting your demise" I looked at him earnestly, hope and love I know full well displayed on my face._

"_I just can't believe…I don't understand" he had mumbled. _

_I had taken a tentative step forward, hand outstretched, but although he had watched me he not moved to react._

"_Life has not been kind to all of us but that doesn't mean we can't make the most of what we have been given" I had told him._

"_But I just don't understand why you would open your home to us, why you would open your hearts to us" Jasper had looked bewildered._

"_Our family has no secrets" I shrugged "it's kind of impossible with Edward's gift and now Alice's but we trust one another so it ceases to matter"._

_Jasper had nodded and then walked passed me to sit on the log I had formerly been occupying, I turned to face him as he passed but noticed that as he went to the log this was the first time he had allowed his back to be turned. That was a monumental step in itself. I felt appreciation and joy flood through me at this revelation. _

_Jasper looked at me, and then gestured to the seat next to him. I was surprised at the gesture but took it nonetheless. It pleased me greatly that he was making it._

"_They're not the only ones with gifts" Jasper had whispered, looking up at me, almost shyly._

_This had floored me. That meant that Jasper had been keeping a big secret. What was it that he could do?_

"_I see you have been keeping secrets" I laughed lightly, although curiosity and apprehension were the dominant emotions I felt._

_Jasper looked down. "Yes, I just didn't know…but now I trust you" he said looking at me determinately._

_I felt a smile spread across my face at this declaration and my love had never been stronger than in this moment for the man sitting to my left. I was pleased, and happy, and filled with joy and love for him._

_He gasped at that moment._

"_What is it?" I instinctively reached for him, touching his shoulder as he flinched away before relaxing a bit into the contact._

"_You know that I said that Edward and Alice weren't the only gifted ones? Well I feel emotions. Yours were just so strong that I was overcome" he looked at me._

_To say I was stunned would have been an understatement. Empaths were rare and mythical in our world filled with the rare and mythical. They simply didn't exist, but here I was sitting right next to one. One who had been living in my house for the past 6 months and had certainly felt everything I did. Including my love for him and his mate as it had developed._

_I had frozen as he had made his declaration but now I tried to shake myself from my thoughts._

"_My God, Jasper" I had looked at him and squeezed his shoulder thinking about his past. _

"_Yeah" he looked sheepish._

"_How did you survive it?" I asked, dropping my hand._

"_What?" he looked at me stunned._

"_In the South, how did you survive not losing yourself? You are a tremendous young man. Aside from your delusion that we would harm you, which hopefully has been straightened out now" I looked to him for confirmation, to which he smiled and nodded "you are incredibly leveled-headed and compassionate". _

_He looked like he'd be blushing if he could._

"_I was losing myself; I thought I had lost myself until I met Alice. And even then something felt like it was missing, that is, until we met you" he looked down, playing with his hands._

_I smiled even wider then before if that was possible. My love abounded for this man. He had had such a hard start to life but it seemed things were finally starting to look up. He raised his eyes to meet my tentatively._

"_I expect you have questions" he asked._

"_Yes, if they don't bother you" I inquired._

"_Go ahead" Jasper smiled slightly._

"_Will you stay with our family and join it in the true sense?" I asked immediately._

_He looked at me stunned. "I thought you were going to ask about my ability" he admitted._

"_Well yes, I do have questions about that. But first I want to know if you will permanently become members of this family" I looked at him earnestly._

"_You're the first person to discover my gift and not demand a demonstration of some kind" he spoke quietly, looking up at me "I wonder why that is" he mulled._

"_I trust you. I believe you, but my primary worry right now is that now you have told us the truth you will run. I want you to stay, not because you have a gift, or because of Alice, although I know you'd do anything for her, but for you, because it is where you want to be and where you belong" I looked at him._

_He looked taken aback yet again._

"_I didn't realize you felt this strongly about Alice and I until earlier when you said you loved us. I have felt the stronger pull you have developed to us, the bond forming, but I didn't realize it was this strong. That you actually wanted us to stay, but that might be because I was starting to like the idea of staying" he contemplated out loud. _

_He smiled at me. "Yes will we stay. We would love to join your family"._

_My face light up when he said that, Esme would be so happy to know that this tentatively temporary hopeful arrangement was becoming permanent. _

"_Then may I make a suggestion?" I had asked carefully._

"_Sure" he had replied easily._

"_Marry Alice" I had told him earnestly._

_He had looked at me stunned and I had chuckled._

"_She is your mate but why not make everything complete and marry her. I'm sure she'd love to be called your wife. I know Esme loves it and Rosalie and Emmett have had several weddings", I laughed indulgently. _

_He looked pensive for a moment and then smiled. "I will certainly ask her. Thank you for the suggestion" he smiled at me._

"_Jasper I want you to know that I will never judge you and you can come to me for anything" I had looked at him "I don't expect you to see me as a father figure but I'd like to be a confident if you ever want to talk"._

_He just smiled at me. "This may not be a coven but it's pretty easy to see which role you fall into within the family there Dad" he said congenially._

_My heart swelled and again he smiled at me._

"_Thank you" was all I could get out. I was pretty choked up at that point. I was happy._

_Jasper got serious again. "I really hope you're okay with that role, because I've never had a good one and I'd really like to…to have someone I can look up to…to have a father" Jasper looked at me._

_I reached for him and then stopped halfway. "I would really like to hug you but I don't know if it would be welcome" I admitted, tears glistening in my eyes that would never fall._

_He opened his arms tentatively, and I pulled him into an embrace. If I had ever doubted he had a power it was in this moment that that idea would have disappeared because his happiness had been tangible. I could have touched it. Maybe I was. I felt his love for me flow and I matched it with equal fervor. We remained like that for an indeterminable amount of time._

_When we finally pulled back I cupped my hand to his cheek before giving it a gentle pat and ruffling his hair. His eyes danced as he smiled and ducked. I had never seen him so relaxed._

"_Jasper I'd be honored if you saw me as your father" I told him._

_He smiled at me "Then I'm honored to have you _for_ a father"._

_And from that moment on, Jasper and I hadn't had any issues. If we disagreed we were quick to discuss the issue at hand and then move on. We actually got along better than anyone else. I don't know if it was because we had come to this understanding but all in all it was very helpful, especially when dealing with Rosalie and Edward's volatile tempers._

_One other thing had worried me that night though and after that revelation as we had stood to go home I had to ask Jasper about it._

"_Why didn't you tell us right away that you had a gift like Alice? It would have been easier to adjust if we'd known" I had asked him. _

_He looked down. "Well I already admitted that I didn't trust you, but it was more than that. I didn't want to be used. I didn't want you to let us into your coven just because of our gifts"._

_I waited until he met my eyes "we would NEVER use you like that" I vowed._

"_I know" Jasper smiled at me slightly, tentatively placing a hand on my shoulder, "but I didn't when we got here. Then I just didn't know how to tell you"._

"_Well what is done is done" I told him "and no one will ever use you again" I fervently told him._

_He looked at me slightly shocked yet again._

"_We protect this family, it is worth defending" I told him._

_And he smiled the most brilliant smile I have to this day seen him smile (with the exception of looking at Alice on their wedding day). To him not only was he being accepted into a family but we were vowing to protect him should anything come along to try and take him away. He was a Cullen from that moment on._

I was lost in my thoughts of the past until Jasper reentered the room giving me a slight smile as he took up his position again at the end of the bed.

I glanced at the clock and realized that hours had passed as it was now early morning.

"Get lost in your thoughts Dad" Jasper jibbed lightly, noting my surprise at the time and then my happiness at the title.

"Yeah" I looked down at Bella. At least she had slept soundly, only a few more hours until we would have her home.

The few remaining hours passed quickly as the sun rose and the hospital became slightly busier.

Bella began to stir around 7. I stroked her arm lightly so as not to surprise her when he eyes opened. Jasper reached for her hand again.

"Good Morning Sweetheart" I whispered, and we both could hear her heart pick up.

"Hey Darlin', we're here, open your eyes, no panicking this time" Jasper said softly, coaxing her from her dreams.

She opened her eyes, saw Jasper, and then attempted to throw herself into his arms, but my arms just weren't ready, or expecting to release her, so in confusion she looked up at me.

"Oh" she replied slightly stunned.

Jasper chuckled. "Breathe Bella" he warned, as her heart began to return to a normal rate.

The hand not clutched in Jasper's came up to my cheek "your eyes" she whispered sadly.

"I know, its ok" I told her tracing her cheekbone in reply.

She nodded and then snuggled deeper into my chest.

"Would you like some breakfast?" Jasper asked.

Bella looked at him and nodded. He waited for a moment for more information before pulling out the applesauce she'd almost spilled the night before and getting a new spoon.

She smiled slightly at him and reached for it, only to have him take the lid off and dip the spoon in and come towards her mouth.

"You're going to feed me?" she asked bewildered.

"Yes" he chuckled, "for self-preservation" he added.

She glowered at him but made no other remarks as she ate her breakfast bite by bite from Jasper's waiting spoon.

When 8 rolled around Jasper handed me a new set of contacts which I quickly put in as Dr. Faulkner came into the room.

Jasper had to stifle a growl upon seeing the man again.

"Well all ready to be released Ms. Cullen?" he asked. Bella looked bewildered glanced at Jasper who nodded and then gave a quiet "yes".

"Well I just need to check this leg and then we'll have you on your way" he looked down, moved it a couple of times and then signed a form before handing it over to me.

"I know you'll get the best care" he sneered at me, as I signed the required forms and handed them back.

She noticed the exchange and looked perturbed while replying "yes I will" with ice lacing her tone. Jasper had to turn his laugh into a cough, but the smile was still playing about his lips.

The girl had good intuition, well aside from the trusting of vampires.

"The nurse will be right in" he said rushing from the room with growing discomfort. Bella glanced at Jasper and I watched as he shrugged and she gave a short chuckle.

About 5 minutes later a nurse came in, one I didn't know.

"Alright Ms. Cullen" she said coming over and getting ready to help her out of bed.

Bella looked at me and then back at the nurse, accepting the hand she offered at my nod. Bella was very unsteady on her feet and the nurse was little help. Jasper quickly intervened with his hands on her waist.

The nurse glowered at Jasper. I got up to quickly appease the nurse before things escalated.

"Bella here are the clothes Alice left here earlier in the week" I said picking up the bag off the floor and handing them to her.

She nodded.

"We'll be in the hall while you change" I told her.

Then we watched as panic flew across her face. She stopped breathing and her heart rate picked up to dangerous heights once again. If Jasper hadn't of been holding her I'm sure she would have hit the floor.

The nurse tried to help but Jasper had already scooped her up, sitting on the edge of the bed for appearances.

"Just breathe Darlin'" he whispered "listen to me, match mine".

I watched as he soothed her and felt not only astonishment but overwhelming pride that he was able to intervene so quickly and effectively and of course abounding love for both of my children.

The nurse hovered, unsure of herself.

I knew that Jasper was using both his words and his talent to help her and if the look he shot me was anything to go by he was getting irritated at the woman's unhelpful motions and close proximity.

After a few minutes Jasper was able to get Bella back to normal. He helped her sit up in his lap.

"Sorry" she murmured, "don't leave" she pleaded with him, and then looked to me.

"I'm right here Darlin', I'm not going anywhere" he promised her.

"Well she needs to change" huffed the irritated nurse, "and she can't do that with two men in the room!"

Bella cringed, and I quickly tried to appease the woman.

"May I talk to you in the hall for a moment?" I asked her.

She nodded, clearly dazzled as I led her into the hallway.

I whispered too low for human ears as I went to close the door behind us "Get her changed" to Jasper. He nodded.

I turned to the woman in front me of me, Mary her name tag read. She must be new.

"Are you new?" I asked her.

"First day" she replied crossing her arms "why does it matter?"

"Well it matters because that was a very insensitive manner in which to treat a patient" I advised her, mirroring her stance.

"Excuse me for treating her like a human being" the girl replied.

"That is exactly what you didn't do" I replied evenly "that girl was just in a car accident where she lost a family member, she went through surgery and is emotionally unstable. Did you even bother to read the chart before suggesting that her family leave her alone in a room with an unknown person?" I challenged.

She started to pale. "No I didn't think so. Have you been properly trained?" I asked her.

"No. I was supposed to shadow a Dr. Cullen this morning but he called out of work or something so I have yet to meet him" she huffed. Then mumbled under her breath thinking I couldn't hear a bunch of expletives directed at me unbeknownst to her.

"Well didn't you attend nursing school?" I asked.

"Of course!" she replied indignantly.

"Then haven't you been trained in bedside manner?" I questioned.

"Yes" she admitted.

"Then why would you claim you have yet to be trained? It is very clear you have had enough experience to know not to separate the family from the patient when the patient would get distressed!" I exhaled.

"It is just I have yet to be trained by this hospital" I replied.

"So you thought you'd throw it off on some unsuspecting Doctor?" I queried.

"Well it is his job to train me" she sneered.

"It is his job to teach you hospital protocol. Not how to do your job" I replied evenly.

"Why do you care?" she snidely asked.

"All I need to know is this how you normally act, or is this an off day?" I interjected.

"This is an off day" the woman sighed "my grandmother died last week and I just flew in this morning to start here and I came to find out that the man I'm supposed to be working with isn't even here!" she threw her hands up in frustration, the wind going out of her sails.

"So the oversight on this patient is just an anomaly?" I asked for clarification.

"Yes, and I'm sorry…" she trailed off looking for a name, and I gestured to the chart hanging on the wall that she had failed to utilize.

"Right of course, I don't know what is wrong with me today" she told me picking up the chart.

"So I'm sorry I was so rude I will go and apologize to…Isabella" she said looking down at the chart.

"Good. And I'm sorry about your grandmother" I replied with a small smile.

"Thank you. She was a great woman, my reason for becoming a nurse" she smiled slightly.

"Well I'm sure she'd be proud. Now just show all your patients the kindness and care that I'm sure she showed them and you'll be all set. She lives on in you" I reminded her.

She thought about that a moment before giving me a bright smile. "Yes, you're right. Thank you Mr…" she looked down "Cullen" then she checked again, and kept looking between the page and my face.

Just then Jasper appeared in the doorway with Bella in new clothes and Esme's food perched in her lap. He looked at me then spoke too low for human hearing "I'm going to take her to the car" before carefully starting down the hall.

I looked at the startled nurse before saying, "It was nice to meet you. I'm sure we'll talk again soon, but I must get my daughter home." I turned and started down the hall following Jasper before casually tossing "And it's _Doctor_ Cullen by the way" over my shoulder, listening to my children give slight laughs as we moved towards the hospital entrance.

After exiting the hospital doors Jasper steered Bella towards the car Esme had left in the parking lot. He was aiming for the back passenger door and reached down to help Bella up but she just clutched his hand rather than using it for leverage.

Looking around to make sure no one was watching Jasper carefully lifted her out of the wheelchair and into his arms bridal style as I opened the back door for him to set Bella in, but she just clutched his shirt. He turned to look at me and I shrugged.

Deliberating for only a second Jasper slid into the back seat with Bella on his lap. Seatbelts weren't really necessary. I wouldn't get in an accident and Jasper's arms were safer than any flimsy piece of belt anyway.

I closed the door and then went around to the driver's side leaving the wheelchair for one of the nurses to get. I quickly backed out and we were speeding off to the house in no time.

Jasper whispered sweet nothings to Bella as he held her and stroked her hair. I met his eyes in the mirror a couple of times but no words passed between us, each lost in our own thoughts of the girl clutching Jasper in the backseat.

Pulling on to our long driveway I could hear the rest of the family freeze and then one set of footsteps come running. Alice must have warned them what would happen if we crowded her so it sounded like Esme would be the one to meet us.

I pulled into the garage and Esme was already standing there with a small smile on her face. As soon as I put the car in park she was opening Jasper's door and helping him out, Bella still clutching the front of his shirt. I could tell Esme would have liked to take Bella but she was so fiercely holding on to Jasper Esme had settled for hovering nearby.

I led them into the house and into the living room where Alice, Rosalie and Emmett waited. They looked up upon our entry but didn't move to greet us. Alice was bouncing in her seat with a smile plastered across her face.

"Welcome home Bella" Jasper whispered. She turned and buried her face in his chest.

I sighed. This was something we needed to deal with but first I wanted to fix her leg.

"Jasper can you take her to my study? I want to fix her leg before we have the conversation that is so very necessary, at least I can remove the pain" I told him, Jasper already moving towards the stairs.

Alice followed us, as Esme went to join Emmett and Rosalie on the sofa. They didn't look the slightest bit confused but did look pleased, like they knew something was going to happen that would be good. We could use some good I decided.

Alice cleared my desk and then spread a blanket over it before Jasper laid Bella down, still holding her hand, but able to get her to release the grip she had on his shirt.

"Alice I'm…" I trailed off as she handed me my bag with a small smile, knowing what I was asking for.

"Ok, so you already know what I did with her ribs. I want to do the same thing here with her leg and probably her face. There will be blood so if you don't think you can handle being in the house please leave before I begin" I told them, readying a sedative.

"Bella sweetheart?" I turned to look at her.

She met my gaze hesitantly.

"I'm going to give you a sedative so I can set your leg ok? When you wake up the pain will be gone ok?" I told her.

She nodded weakly. "I guess this is goodbye then" she teared up.

"No sweetheart, this is just you taking a little rest. I promise we will explain everything when you wake up ok? You are safe here Bella. We won't let anything happen to you. We're not going anywhere." I told her fervently. Alice and Jasper nodded in response.

"I love you" she whispered as I injected her and she drifted off.

I looked down on the form of my forlorn human daughter. It killed me to see her like this. So beat up but also so down trodden. She was emotional harmed right now as well as physically. I felt my anguish decrease slightly and looked up to see Jasper giving me a small smile.

"I'm going to begin, so…" I trailed off. I didn't want to tell them to leave but I also knew how hard it was for them being around her, let alone being around her flowing blood. It would be safer for everyone involved if they left.

"We're staying" Jasper told me.

I looked up at him surprised. "What?" I asked him confused.

"Jasper, I know you'd never want to hurt her…" I started but he cut me off.

"I don't think you understand that I _can't_ hurt her" he sighed.

I looked at Alice. "What is going on?" I asked her, concerned.

"We will explain the revelations after Bella is awake, but right now all you need to know is that Jasper and I are both in control and we want to be the ones to heal Bella. I think you'll need to make the incisions on her leg and give directions but I will do her face and you can help Jasper with her leg" her eyes glazed over, seeing the future she was describing. "Everything will be fine" she assured me with a smile.

I was still confused. Surely they both loved her but this was going above and beyond. I was certainly looking forward to whatever epiphany they wanted to share when Bella was awake and aware once more.

"If you're sure…" I said looking at Alice. She nodded, smiling and then moved towards Bella's head.

"Okay" I sighed "here is the most important thing you need to know: the venom cannot touch her blood. If that occurs she will be changed. Alice you should be okay with her face, all of the cuts are healed for the most part they'd just leave some nasty scars. Jasper" I said looking at him as he stood across the desk from me "I will make the incision on her leg. Then I will suck the blood for her wound. When I tell you to, you can lick your finger, coating it in venom, and draw it along the bone, but be very careful that you don't hit any blood ok?" I looked at him for confirmation, he nodded.

"Let's get started" I said.

I watched as Alice very carefully licked Bella's face. The skin began to reknit and look like new, if with a little bit more of sheen. She was doing fine so I took a calming breath and made eye contact with Jasper.

"Ready?" I asked. He nodded.

"You don't have to do this" I told him.

"I want to" he replied.

"Very well. Hold your breath if you need to" I told him. He nodded but didn't cease his easy breathing.

I rolled Bella's pants leg up and then very carefully ran a scalpel down her leg. The marks would be healable, unlike the ones I had left on her chest. I made sure I got all the way down to the bone, much deeper than I would normally cut a human and then leaned my face in; checking to make sure Jasper was ok.

He nodded at me and just continued carefully watching and breathing slowly.

I sucked the blood away from the bone, leaving the bone clean of all drops. I then looked to Jasper as I held the skin back and away from the wound. He licked his finger and then ran it along the bone. We watched as the bone reknit and reset back to its proper position.

His eyes widened and I smiled at him. I leaned down to close the wound we had made and he placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Let me do it" he requested.

I knew my face displayed my shock as well as my emotions did and he chuckled at me.

"Are you sure?" I asked him.

He nodded, a small smile playing about his lips.

I gestured for him to begin. He took a deep breath and then leaned his face in, darting his tongue out to begin the process. The tissues begin to heal as his venom touched them. He was ever so wary of any lingering blood and avoiding those areas. Upon reaching the top, he backed away and let Alice finish the top layer, the visible skin, and we watched as the incision I had made disappeared.

The three of us looked at each other and smiled. Then Alice gasped as a vision took over.

"Alice what is it?" Jasper asked frantically.

"Bella, blood clot, left leg, bite at her knee NOW!" she yelled and Jasper did exactly that. He bit and sucked. "One, two, three STOP!" Alice yelled again and amazingly Jasper released, gasping for air.

I leaned over to the lick any extra blood from the wound before Alice leaned in and closed what we could of the skin. Unfortunately there would always be a bite mark there. Something Bella knew well from the incident in Phoenix last summer.

I looked at Jasper. "Are you ok?" I asked, reaching for my son on the ground.

"Yes, it's just…I didn't think…I just listened…and I stopped Carlisle" he looked at me stunned.

"Yes you did" I smiled at my youngest son "and you just saved her life. In humans blood clots kill if they get to the heart."

Jasper still was in shock and I looked to Alice.

"Are you ok?" I asked her, as she sunk to her knees.

"I almost missed it" Alice said. "If I had…" she trailed off dry-sobbing.

"But you didn't" I said pulling her into my arms. "It's ok Alice" I said rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"Oh Jasper" she said throwing herself into his arms "I'm so sorry you had to do that".

"Why Darlin'?" he asked, with a slight chuckle. "I just saved my little sister and found out I am much stronger than I think I am."

"Jasper I must say that was amazing" I admitted.

"Thanks Dad" he said with a brilliant smile, holding Alice in his arms.

I smiled in return as I got to my feet to look at my human daughter whose life always seemed to be fraught with peril. "Oh my sweet girl" I said stroking her face.

We stayed that way. Jasper holding Alice on the floor, me stroking Bella's cheek, as Rosalie, Emmett and Esme came into the room and we waited out together the time for Bella to awaken.


End file.
